Slaves
by Cotton Candy Mareep
Summary: After a ruthless combined attack from all three Clans, ThunderClan has been destroyed. Only six warriors remain, imprisoned and forced to work as slaves for their captors. All hope has deserted them, yet still, they are desperate to revive their lost Clan. No matter the consequences. [Adopted from Claudaujay]
1. Prologue & Allegiances

_**Summary: After a ruthless combined attack from all three Clans, ThunderClan has been destroyed. Their leader, deputy, and medicine cat have been brutalized in front of their own warriors, and even their kits have been massacred. Only six members of the Clan remain – five warriors and an apprentice. The group is split up and imprisoned as slaves within the other three Clans, forced to work for their captors. The past haunts them, and the future looks bleak; however, all is not yet lost. After all, not everyone supported the attack…**_

 _ **[adopted from Claudaujay]**_

 **A/N: So, as stated above, this fanfiction was originally written by the fantastic author Claudaujay. However, he didn't feel that he could finish the fic himself as it had become a very large and time-consuming undertaking, so he allowed me to adopt the story from him and continue writing in his place so that it doesn't go unfinished. Just about all of the ideas for characters and plot in this story belong to Claudaujay, I'm simply writing them out! I'll begin by reposting the chapters he has already written (with Claudaujay's permission, of course), which may take some time, but afterward I'll start posting the chapters I am currently in the process of writing to continue this fanfic until the very end.**

 **-CCM**

* * *

 **SLAVES**

PROLOGUE

A bright shaft of sunlight filtered in through the entrance to the medicine cat's den, illuminating its shadowy interior. Willowflight turned over in her nest, her eyes screwed tightly shut. She had woken up before the first signs of dawn had shone through the lichen entrance, but she still felt exhausted after the previous day. One of ThunderClan's patrols had been attacked while they were patrolling the ShadowClan border, which of course, meant work for her.

The she-cat shifted over onto her side and breathed in deeply, inhaling the comfortingly familiar scents of the medicine cat den. Greenleaf was in full swing, and her herb store was stocked full of freshly picked herbs from the thriving forest. Even catmint was growing in abundance, and despite the seemingly constant threat from the other Clans, ThunderClan's morale was at an all-time high due to the plentiful flow of prey in the forest.

Willowflight opened her right eye a little, before snapping it closed again. The sun was bright, and somewhat harsh compared to the bitter chill that filled the air. Willowflight was taken aback by how cold it was; she'd grown accustomed to the usual sweltering heat and dryness of the greenleaf days previously. But now that she'd opened her eyes, it was pointless to wait for her exhaustion to lull her back to sleep. Slowly, she blinked and sat up in her nest, yawning loudly.

As she did so, another scent became apparent amongst the usual aroma of herbs in her den. The now faint, but ever present, scent of blood. She turned her head toward the shape of Eaglefang, huddled up in the corner of the den. His usual short, tawny brown fur was matted and ruffled; a few nasty-looking wounds that would soon be scars writhed like snakes down his flank, covered in cobwebs. He had taken the brunt of the attack from the ShadowClan patrol, and he was still weak after his injuries. Willowflight had told him to stay in the medicine cat den with her so she could supervise his recovery.

Slowly, she padded forward, making sure not to disturb the quietly sleeping tomcat from his slumber. She inspected his wounds – the poultice she'd used yesterday seemed to have worked effectively. The bleeding had stopped due to the cobwebs and the marigold ensured that none of the wounds would get infected. Eaglefang shifted in his sleep uncomfortably as she sniffed over his pelt, before raising her head and backing away.

The medicine cat sighed. It seemed to her that not only ShadowClan, but _every_ Clan was against them at the moment, although she wasn't sure why. ThunderClan had kept to themselves over the course of the season. They hadn't intruded or involved themselves in any of the other Clan's personal affairs, as they'd often been criticized of doing in the past. So why did they all seem hostile? She recalled her last visit to the Gathering, a few sunrises ago. Her fellow medicine cats had certainly seemed a little… wary of her. The ShadowClan medicine cat, Pinefeather, especially.

She shook her head, emptying her mind of the unsettling thoughts, and ducked out of the medicine cat den into the camp clearing. Only a few warriors had already woken up. Many were dozing by the fresh-kill pile in the early morning sun, waiting for the deputy of the Clan, Beechfoot, to organize the dawn patrol. Willowflight's eyes came to settle upon a pale white she-cat seated below the Highledge. The she-cat smiled brightly and beckoned Willowflight over with her tail. She purred, padding over and settling down beside the warrior.

'Hi, Palewhisper,' Willowflight mewed cheerily, resting her tail neatly across her paws. 'Get a good night's sleep?'

"Yeah,' the other she-cat replied, shrugging, before turning her head to look up at the leader's den. 'Those poppy seeds you gave me really helped.'

Palewhisper had been one of the cats on the patrol that had been attacked yesterday. She'd escaped without any major injuries, but hadn't been able to relax after seeing how badly Eaglefang had gotten hurt. Willowflight had resorted to using herbs to try and get her to sleep. Palewhisper had never told anyone but Willowflight, but she'd had a crush on Eaglefang since they were apprentices, although the oblivious tom paid little to no attention to her.

Palewhisper turned back to her, her blue eyes full of concern. 'Eaglefang's going to be okay, right?' She hesitated. 'He's not injured too badly?'

Willowflight's whiskers twitched playfully. 'Oh no!' she meowed teasingly. 'He'll be up and moving again in no time. After all, nothing could bring down the _most handsome_ tom in ThunderClan, right Palewhisper?'

The she-cat sighed dreamily. 'Isn't he just…'

Willowflight rolled her eyes. Personally, she didn't see what her best friend saw in the tom. Sure, he was a good, strong warrior, but he'd never seemed anything more than that to the medicine cat.

Her whiskers twitched. 'Are you hungry?' she asked, gesturing toward the fresh-kill pile.

Palewhisper shook her head. 'I've already eaten, but you can go and grab something.'

Willowflight nodded, before rising to her paws and shaking herself. 'I might just.' The medicine cat turned around to leave, the stopped abruptly. 'Oh, I almost forgot!' she exclaimed. 'Skystar asked to speak to you yesterday, but I didn't get around to telling you.'

Palewhisper's eyes widened in surprise. 'Really? What about?'

Willowflight shrugged. 'I'm not sure. Maybe she just wants to see you.'

Skystar was Palewhisper's mother, and obviously so, at that. The two she-cats were spitting images of each other, with the same short white fur and glistening blue eyes. Though despite their strong physical resemblance, in personality they couldn't have been more different. Skystar was a very strong, authoritative leader, whereas Palewhisper was shy and reserved, and hated being the center of attention.

Palewhisper glanced at her paws. 'I guess,' she murmured, before rising to her feet. 'Alright. I'll go and see her right away.'

Willowflight watched curiously as Palewhisper padded up to the top of the Highledge, before ducking under the lichen and into the leader's den. Palewhisper had always had a difficult relationship with her mother. Her father had died in a battle when she was only three moons old, and since then, Skystar had never really been the same. Palewhisper had always strived to impress her, but her mother showed only cold indifference toward her calm determination. Willowflight felt a sudden burst of pity for her friend; she herself had never experienced such problems with her own parents.

Most of the ThunderClan warriors had emerged from their dens by the time Beechfoot finally showed himself. Willowflight padded back to her den and lingered outside as the jet-black deputy announced the morning's patrols. The medicine cat watched as the chosen cats darted out of camp and into the lush, green forest. Secretly, she prayed to StarClan that they didn't encounter any more trouble with the other Clans. She didn't want to have to treat any more cats with carelessly acquired injuries.

 _Speaking of injured cats,_ Willowflight thought, flicking her tail and ducking back into the medicine cat's den. Eaglefang looked up from his nest when she did so. His tawny brown fur was still very ruffled by his wounds, but the flair that usually remained in his eyes had returned. The tom blinked, before cricking his neck and stretching out.

'Morning, Eaglefang,' Willowflight mewed politely, padding forward until she was standing beside him. 'How are your wounds feeling today?'

'Better,' he grunted, before sitting up onto his haunches. The tom winced, his muscles aching under the pressure.

Willowflight shook her head. 'Don't try and put your body through anything too stressful until later today,' she warned. 'You might reopen your wounds.'

Eaglefang nodded absently, staring at the entrance to the den.

Willowflight nudged him. 'Don't worry,' she told him reassuringly. 'You'll be up and about in no time.'

The tom shook his head, before finally meeting Willowflight's gaze. There was a grave look in his deep amber eyes. 'It's not that…' He hesitated.

'Go on **,** ' the medicine cat prompted.

'It's just… I'm worried about all of the other Clans' hostility at the moment, especially after what happened yesterday,' he confessed, before looking away and breaking eye contact. 'ShadowClan's attack was completely unprovoked. We were just patrolling the border, for StarClan's sake! And yet they felt the need to ambush us, without even justifying themselves. It's as if we've done something wrong, at least in their eyes.'

For a moment, Willowflight didn't know what to say. Eaglefang had voiced her own exact fears. 'It's just ShadowClan being ShadowClan,' she murmured, trying to sound confident **,** although even she could detect the bitter uncertainty in her own voice. 'They've always made a habit of trying to unsettle us. This is no different.'

'But in greenleaf?' Eaglefang retorted. 'Not even _ShadowClan_ purposefully tries to stir up trouble in the heart of greenleaf.'

The she-cat shrugged. 'Maybe they're just trying to make their mark,' she suggested. 'Ravenstar was only appointed leader a moon ago. It's natural for him to try and impose himself on the lake.'

'Well, then how do you explain the hostility of the other Clans, as well?' Eaglefang challenged. 'A few sunrises ago, my apprentice, Aspenpaw, caught a rabbit that had wandered onto our territory. He never crossed the border or anything. But one of WindClan's patrols saw him – and he said they nearly chased him back onto ThunderClan's land!'

Willowflight stared at him, completely lost for words. Eaglefang spoke with the kind of persuasive conviction that only leaders possessed, and she had no idea how to respond to his charisma. The medicine cat opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out.

Eaglefang sniffed, before licking down the fur on his chest with a few smooth strokes of his tongue. 'I thought so.'

Willowflight shook herself self-consciously. 'You know, maybe it would be good to speak to Skystar about what you think,' she suggested. 'She could bring it up at the next Gathering an-'

Suddenly, a brilliant white light flashed in front of Willowflight's vision. She gasped, screwing her eyes tightly shut. For a few moments, she was completely blinded, until the stage subsided and she was left with only a harsh glow burning around the edges of her vision. Willowflight looked around, but she still couldn't see a thing. _Is this StarClan_? she thought.

The blurry light remained prominent for a few moments, before it finally began to fade away… or rather, transform. Something red edged into the scene taking place in front of her, along with a constant streak of black. The vision kept on changing and morphing, until it eventually settled and her sight cleared.

And what Willowflight now saw before her struck her with horror.

It was the ThunderClan camp clearing. Everything was there. The leader's den up on the Highledge, the medicine cat den, the fresh-kill pile – but one aspect was terrifyingly different. The high, stony walls of the camp were drenched in thick scarlet blood. It dripped down to the floor, seeping its way across the clearing and out into the forest, staining the ground a sickly crimson. Willowflight tried to back away, but she couldn't. Her limbs were paralyzed with fear.

And then, the blood began to shift. Twisting and turning in and out, rising from the deep red liquid, something began to take shape. Willowflight realized with a jolt what was being created. Cats. One for every cat in her Clan. She recognized all of them. Beechfoot, Skystar, and –

Even herself.

Suddenly, from the group of blood-drenched warriors, out stepped one much larger than the others. Willowflight didn't recognize it, and her heart swelled with fear, but she still couldn't move. She watched as the cat approached, nearer and nearer, with the deliberate intent of a hunter to its prey; until finally, it stopped right in front of her face.

For a few moments, there was only silence. Then the strange cat's jaws widened, and it began to wail.

' _The past is drenched in blood, but the future is pale as light…'_

Willowflight barely had a moment to process the cat's ominous words before the vision abruptly began to fade. The blood seeped away into nothingness, and the surreality of the camp clearing disappeared with it. The she-cat felt as though she were falling into an abyss, too dark and too terrible for a cat to even imagine. She closed her eyes, waiting for the darkness to consume her.

'Willowflight?'

All she could feel was an intense, aching despair –

' _Willowflight_?!"

And a future as bleak and harsh as the coldest night of leafbare –

'WILLOWFLIGHT!'

The she-cat's eyes jolted open. She was back in the medicine cat den. The usual smell of herbs wafted back into her nostrils. The horrifying vision had passed. She was safe.

'Willowflight?' Eaglefang's shocked voice echoed through the den. 'Are you alright? What happened?'

The tom was standing over her, his face filled with concern. Willowflight realized that she must have fainted. She was lying on the floor, facing the cold stone ceiling of the den.

The medicine cat coughed. 'I'm fine,' she rasped. Her breathing was shallow and erratic.

'Are you sure?' Eaglefang asked worriedly.

Willowflight didn't answer. Her mind was still spinning from the prophecy she had just been given. All she could see and hear was the cat in front of her, and its strange, enigmatic words. _The past is drenched in blood, but the future is pale as light._

Slowly, she began to get back to her paws. The she-cat winced, her muscles screaming in protest. One side of her head throbbed angrily. She must've hit it on the rocks when she fell down.

'Can I help you?' Eaglefang questioned as she did so. 'Should I fetch someone to help?'

'I'm fine!' Willowflight snapped, turning ferociously on the tom. 'I just need some–' She paused. 'I just need some fresh air.'

And with that, the medicine cat turned, ignoring the stinging pain in her head, and dashed out of the den. She heard Eaglefang's shocked voice calling out after her, but she ignored him, screwing her eyes tightly shut. A few cats glanced up, surprised, as she ran through the camp and out into the forest, but no one protested. She was glad they didn't.

The forest passed in a blur as she ran. All of her senses were numbed by panic and confusion. Willowflight had never experienced a prophecy as dark and foreboding as this one. _What does it all mean?_ she thought wildly. _Why were all my Clanmates covered in blood?_

When she finally came to a halt, she no longer recognized the thick, dense undergrowth that surrounded her. She had stopped in the shadow of a large oak tree, standing proud and tall over all the other trees nearby. The medicine cat had never gone so far away from camp before. For a moment, she wondered whether she'd accidentally crossed the ShadowClan border, but swiftly passed off the thought. She would've been able to smell the pine forest if she had.

Willowflight sighed, slumping down onto her haunches with her shoulders hunched over, shivering silently. She may not have understood the mysterious omen's full meaning, but she knew that all the blood and darkness could only signify one thing. Destruction, and the death of many. 'But who will die, and what will be destroyed?' Willowflight muttered under her breath.

Suddenly, a terrible thought entered her mind. _What if every cat I saw in the clearing will die?_

Willowflight's eyes widened in horror. That would've meant nearly all the cats of ThunderClan. Skystar, Beechfoot, the kits and queens...

At this thought, the medicine cat shook her head in denial. _No!_ she thought. _It can't be! The death of so many cats would mean the end of ThunderClan; StarClan wouldn't let that happen. Would they?_

Such awful thoughts made Willowflight's head hurt even more. She wouldn't believe it. In fact, she _couldn't_ believe it. _There have always been four Clans beside the lake,_ she reasoned with herself desperately. _Why would StarClan want that to change now?_ The she-cat remembered what Eaglefang had confessed to her earlier. About the hostility of the other Clans. Could that be related to the prophecy?

Willowflight clenched her paws together, trying to convince herself. _No. StarClan can't be foretelling the end of ThunderClan. It has to be something else._

But if it wasn't that, then what was it?

Slowly, the she-cat got back up to her paws, trying to ignore the fear that coursed through her veins. She attempted to shove the unwelcome thoughts away, but no matter how hard she tried, they remained at the back of her mind, bothering her. Willowflight glanced up at the sky, searching for any sign of her warrior ancestors. The burning sun gave her nothing in return.

After a moment's pause, she decided there was no point in staying out in the forest like this any longer. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she turned back in the direction she had come, and slowly headed back to camp.

* * *

ALLEGIANCES

 **ShadowClan**

 **Leader:**

Ravenstar – Black tomcat with icy blue eyes.

 **Deputy:**

Emberheart – Bright ginger tom with green eyes.

 **Medicine Cat:**

Pinefeather – Grey tabby tom with dark yellow eyes.

 **Warriors:**

Nightwhisper – Black tomcat with yellow eyes. Brother of Ravenstar.

Bonefur – Large white tom with blue eyes.

Duskwing – Russet colored she-cat with dirty yellow eyes.

Badgertail – Black and white tom with hazel eyes and a long tail.

Addertooth – Mottled brown tom with green eyes.

Cedarheart – Light grey tabby she-cat with blue eyes.

Whitepool – Attractive white tabby she-cat.

 **Apprentices:**

Wolfpaw – Greyish white tom. Apprentice of Addertooth.

Tanglepaw – Dark ginger tom with a messy tangled pelt. Apprentice of Duskwing.

 **Queens:**

Poppycloud – Pretty calico she-cat. Mate of Badgertail.

Ivynose – Very dark grey she-cat.

 **Elders:**

Mudeyes – Muddy brown tom.

 **ShadowClan Slaves:**

Smoketalon – Jet-black tomcat with bright amber eyes.

Aspenpaw – Grey tomcat with amber eyes.

o0o0o

 **RiverClan**

 **Leader:**

Streamstar – Attractive grey tabby she-cat.

 **Deputy:**

Shellstorm – Huge grey tom with blue eyes.

 **Medicine Cat:**

Minnowdusk – Brown she-cat with hazel eyes.

 **Warriors:**

Reedshade – Pretty brown and white patched she-cat with blue eyes.

Beetlenose – Black tom with pale green eyes.

Dappleheart – Gentle dappled she-cat.

Eelscratch – Lithe grey tom with amber eyes.

Rowanleap – Ginger tom.

Lilypelt – Bulky brown she-cat with yellow eyes.

 **Apprentices:**

Troutpaw – Very dark grey tom. Apprentice of Beetlenose.

Spottypaw – Spotted she-cat. Apprentice of Eelscratch.

 **Queens:**

Robinsplash – Tabby grey she-cat.

 **Elders:**

Oakfrost – Elderly brown tom.

Fernstep – White she-cat with green eyes.

 **RiverClan Slaves:**

Sageclaw – Brown and white tabby tom with green eyes.

Foxflame – Dark ginger she-cat with musty yellow eyes.

o0o0o

 **WindClan**

 **Leader:**

Gorsestar – Shrewd brown tabby tom.

 **Deputy:**

Sandpelt – Yellow she-cat with green eyes.

 **Medicine Cat:**

Ryesong – Small, dark brown, almost black, she-cat.

 **Warriors:**

Harestoop – Brown tom.

Slatefrost – Greyish tomcat with amber eyes.

Cloudstreak – White tabby she-cat.

Morningflight – Distinctive olive colored she-cat.

Thrushstrike – Burly tabby tomcat.

Dawnheart – Black and white she-cat with a stripe on her nose.

 **Apprentices:**

Owlpaw – Brown tom. Apprentice of Thrushstrike.

Doepaw – White she-cat with streaks of grey on her pelt. Apprentice of Dawnheart.

 **Queens:**

Leafcall – Brown and white she-cat with hazel eyes.

 **Elders:**

Chivedash – Long and slender she-cat.

Branchfur - Elderly brown tabby tom.

 **WindClan Slaves:**

Eaglefang – Tawny brown tabby tomcat with sharp amber eyes.

Palewhisper – Pale white she-cat with blue eyes.

o0o0o

 **ThunderClan (Before Attack)**

 **Leader:**

Skystar – White she-cat with sky blue eyes. Mother of Palewhisper.

 **Deputy:**

Beechfoot – Black tabby tom. Brother of Smoketalon.

 **Medicine Cat:**

Willowflight – Small, light brown she-cat.

* * *

 _ **[prologue and allegiances originally written by Claudaujay]**_


	2. Chapter 1: Sageclaw

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER 1

 _The starry plain seemed to stretch on forever. It glistened brightly, shining up from the ground and illuminating everything in a majestic glow. The tomcat's eyes were filled with wonder as he padded across it. The grass was soft and springy to the touch, and there was a thin line of mist just above his paws. He looked from side to side. The plain continued straight on as far as the eye could see, reaching toward the horizon and beyond in every direction. The tom was captivated by the land's beauty. At that moment, he would've been satisfied just to carry on walking forever, lost in its mystifying aura._

 _But as he walked, the tom started to become aware of another presence nearby. He didn't know what it was, for his senses seemed to have been completely numbed. A shift in the wind perhaps? Or the swirling of the mist. Maybe, it was simply his own imagination. But nevertheless, the tom's certainty that another cat was nearby began to grow as he padded on, until he was unable to ignore the feeling any longer._

 _He spun around, looking back in the direction he had come. But every aspect of the landscape looked the same as the next. He peered into the mist, searching for any sign or trace of another cat._

 _'Hello?' he called out uncertainly. A feeling of unease began to form in his stomach. 'Is anybody there?'_

 _Only silence followed his call._

 _This time, the tomcat repeated his question. Louder, and with an edge of hostility in his tone. 'Hello?' he shouted, his claws beginning to unsheathe. 'Is anybody there?'_

 _'Look carefully, and you will find me.'_

 _The tomcat turned in shock as the voice reverberated across the plain. His eyes darted from side to side, searching for the source of the voice. His confusion set him on edge. 'Who are you?' he asked. 'Where are you?'_

 _'Who am I?' the voice came again, clearer this time. It was soft, calm and soothing, as gentle as a brook on a greenleaf day. 'I am many things.'_

 _The tomcat hesitated, his tail twitching anxiously. The mysterious voice seemed to be coming from everywhere at once. He took a step forward and sniffed at the air. Nothing._

 _'What do you mean?' the tom asked._

 _A small chuckle echoed from somewhere far away. 'So very much,' the voice replied. 'I am the night, and I am the day. I am life, and I am death. I am StarClan, and the Dark Forest, and the pain, and the sickness. I am the misery, and the hunger... but most of all, I am hope.'_

 _The voice's words touched something deep inside the tomcat. All of a sudden, his heart began to beat furiously like the wings of a trapped bird. His eyes dilated to the size of moons. He felt like his whole body had been set alight, and was shining brighter than a hundred million stars._

 _'Tell me,' the voice murmured. 'What do you dream of more than anything else?'_

 _A slight shiver passed through the tomcat's body as he registered the question. His answer took form in his mind in less than a few moments._

 _'Freedom,' the tomcat answered. His voice was barely more than a whisper._

 _'Then come with me,' the voice replied. 'And you will find not only what you seek, but also your greatest redemption...'_

* * *

A tongue the roughest of textures awoke Sageclaw from his strange dream. It brushed against his whiskers, causing his emerald green eyes to snap wide open. He stared forward, surprised, at the dark ginger face only a mouse-length from his own. Musty yellow eyes met green; they were narrowed down to angry slits.

'Wake up **,'** the ginger she-cat snapped. 'It's time.'

For a moment, all Sageclaw could do was stare at her, and then unwelcome memories flooded back into his skull. He sniffed angrily, shoving the she-cat away and sitting upright in his nest.

'Why did you have to wake me up?' he muttered, sending a few strokes of his tongue down his chest to settle the ruffled brown and white fur. 'I was having a great dream.'

'Oh, well that _is_ unfortunate,' the she-cat retorted sarcastically. 'What did you think I was gonna do? Let you laze around while I did all the hunting? I don't think so, mousebrain.'

Sageclaw hissed quietly, but didn't say anything in return. The tom knew from experience that starting an argument with the fiery she-cat would get him nowhere, and besides, he had more important things to worry about.

He sighed, halfheartedly rising to his paws and nodding toward the entrance of the den. 'Alright Foxflame,' he grumbled. 'Let's go.'

The she-cat grunted, before turning her back on him and padding out of the den with her head held high. Sageclaw followed her out, the hair along his back prickling with annoyance. Foxflame had _always_ been a difficult cat to be around. Her fierce independence and pride in her own abilities ensured that she contradicted, or just simply disregarded, everything that Sageclaw had to say.

'Stupid she-cat,' he growled under his breath, as they padded out into the RiverClan camp.

The day was cold and harsh. A sharp leaf-fall wind rushed through Sageclaw's thick fur, causing him to shiver involuntarily. The sky was a dull grey color, and dark clouds smothered the light of the sun. Leafbare was fast approaching, which, of course, meant even more work for him and Foxflame. It was dawn, but already, the RiverClan camp was bustling with cats. A group of two or three were about to leave camp for the dawn patrol. As they ducked under the bramble-enforced entrance, a few of them eyed Sageclaw dirtily, with the hint of a sneer on their faces. The tom's claws itched furiously, tempting him to react, but he forced himself to keep his expression neutral.

Foxflame's eyes narrowed angrily, however, and she dropped into a threatening crouch. 'What are _you_ looking at?' she snarled at the leaving patrol.

Sageclaw was about to shoot forward and prevent the confrontation from going any further, when a gravelly voice echoed from behind them. 'Morning, _slaves,_ ' it interrupted. 'You both get a good a night's rest?'

Sageclaw's eyes narrowed, and he turned around stiffly to see Eelscratch, who had taken the responsibility of guarding their den last night, standing behind them. The lithe grey tomcat was looking at them icily, the hostility clear within his gaze.

Foxflame bristled, but before the she-cat could turn on the guard, Sageclaw silenced her with a flick of his tail. 'We slept fine,' he told him, shooting Foxflame a meaningful glare.

Eelscratch nodded, his face contorting into a smirk. 'Good,' he hissed, 'cause you've got a lot of work to do. Prey's scarce at the moment, and your already pathetic hunting skills are going to be stretched an awful lot, don't you think?'

Sageclaw returned the tom's gaze as calmly as he could. Eelscratch was purposefully trying to provoke them, but he refused to give the RiverClan tom the pleasure of a reaction.

Foxflame didn't seem to be thinking along the same lines as him, though. The look in her eyes spelt murder.

Eelscratch sniffed, before shouldering past Sageclaw and padding in the direction of the fresh-kill pile. 'Come on,' he said, gesturing with his tail for them to follow him. 'Shellstorm's about to send out the first hunting patrol.'

Sageclaw padded after him, Foxflame close on his heels. The dark ginger she-cat was growling furiously. 'Why didn't you let me at him?' she spat venomously. 'I could have taken on that foxheart any day.'

Sageclaw's tail twitched agitatedly. 'Why do you think?' he shot back. 'If you'd started a fight, it would just have given Shellstorm another excuse to treat us worse; as if we're not getting it in the neck already without your constant whining.'

The she-cat stared daggers at him, but didn't continue the argument. Sageclaw shook his head and looked away. With Foxflame, it often felt like he was talking to an obnoxious apprentice rather than another fully-grown warrior.

The RiverClan camp was fairly open compared to some of the other Clans. It was surrounded by a number of brooks that flowed into the lake downstream. There was only one entrance to the camp though, and it was surrounded by bramble thickets. Only the RiverClan cats knew how to get through the shrubs without getting caught on the thistles, and Sageclaw had learnt through bitter experience that it was better to be safe than sorry when you were leaving the camp.

The fresh-kill pile was stored just beside the leader's den, but it was also where the deputy of the Clan, Shellstorm, tended to organize the patrols from. It consisted largely of fish caught by the RiverClan warriors, but Sageclaw and Foxflame, who hadn't yet mastered the art of fishing, usually brought back water voles and other forest-like prey.

Many of the RiverClan warriors were already gathered, talking quietly under their breaths. There was an apprehensive tension in the air. All the warriors could sense the coming leafbare in the bitter wind and the rapidly dropping prey levels. Eelscratch led him and Foxflame to one side, away from the main body of warriors. A few of them turned and glared at Sageclaw as he padded past, their fangs bared. The tom looked away, his head held high.

'Warriors,' a loud, brash voice echoed, 'Silence.'

Instantly, the nervous chatter ceased. Standing beside the fresh-kill pile was Shellstorm, his tail kinked low over his back. The grey tabby deputy of RiverClan was imposing to say the least – his enormous frame made even the larger cats in the clearing look small. Some deputies, although making their authority clear, listened carefully to what their warriors had to say, but _no one_ dared argue with Shellstorm. If he told you to do something, you did it or else; needless to say, the tom had a reputation for harsh treatment.

Sageclaw's eyes met those of the deputy for a moment, and if looks could kill, Sageclaw would've died long ago.

'Right,' Shellstorm hissed, settling down on his haunches. 'I'm sure you're all aware how fast leafbare is closing in. Obviously, this means prey is at a premium. Streamstar told me herself that she wants me to double the hunting patrols; I expect at least three pieces of prey brought back to camp every day from now on.' The deputy glanced at the pair of slaves, a cruel grin crossing his face. 'Although, our _guests_ over here must bring back five pieces of prey a day. And if you don't, the consequences will be…' he paused, unsheathing his hooked claws. 'Severe.'

Sageclaw felt a flicker of fear pass through his body, but he refused to show it. He looked sideways at Foxflame. Her claws were digging into the ground.

Shellstorm shook his head. 'Anyway,' he growled. 'I will send out two hunting patrols. Beetlenose, you may lead the first. Take Lilypelt and Rowanleap...'

As Shellstorm announced the rest of the patrols, Sageclaw turned to Foxflame. He glanced quickly at Eelscratch to make sure the RiverClan tom wasn't looking. 'I can't believe this,' he hissed. ' _Five_ pieces of prey a day? We'll never catch that much!'

Foxflame snorted. 'You might not,' she replied coolly. 'But _I_ will.'

Sageclaw flattened his ears disbelievingly. 'Oh yeah, and I assume you think hedgehogs can fly, as well,' he retorted. 'We both had trouble catching three a day, let alone five. We can't even catch fish, for StarClan's sake!'

'Well, we'll just have to learn then, won't we?' she huffed angrily.

'And how are we going to do that?' Sageclaw exclaimed, his voice growing in volume despite himself. 'It's not as if any of the RiverClan cats are gonna teach us.'

'What are you two muttering about?' Eelscratch snapped from behind them.

Sageclaw opened his mouth to reply, but this time, the ginger she-cat beat him to it. 'Nothing of your concern,' she mewed icily.

The brown and white tom winced at Foxflame's aggressive tone. Subtly, he nudged the she-cat, warning her not to get involved, but she didn't say anything to him in return. Sageclaw eyed the RiverClan tomcat, fully expecting him to get physical.

So he was surprised when all Eelscratch did was laugh, albeit threateningly. He leaned in close to the ginger she-cat, and Sageclaw winced at his words. 'Everything of yours is my concern, _slave_ ,' he hissed.

Foxflame's eyes narrowed down to slits, and a long, low growl began to emanate from her throat. Urgency washed through Sageclaw from head to paw, and he stepped forward to interfere –

'Hey, Eelscratch!'

A masculine voice came from behind them, breaking the tension. Sageclaw let out a long breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. It was Beetlenose, the tom whom Shellstorm had selected to lead one of the patrols.

'Stop messing around,' the dark warrior grunted to Eelscratch. 'You're on Dappleheart's patrol. She's taking you to the WindClan border with the she-cat slave.'

Sageclaw's ears pricked in surprise. _Foxflame isn't coming on my patrol?_ Usually, he and the she-cat hunted together. He wondered why Shellstorm had felt the need to suddenly separate them.

Eelscratch glared at Foxflame one more time, before nodding for her to follow him. 'Of course,' he said smoothly, before padding toward his waiting patrol. Foxflame went after him grudgingly. As the guard passed, he whispered something in Beetlenose's ear. Sageclaw frowned as the black tom's eyes narrowed, and he looked up warily at Foxflame.

Then, Beetlenose turned toward him. 'You're coming with us,' he said slowly. 'Remember what Shellstorm said? You have to catch five pieces of prey, alright?'

Sageclaw didn't meet Beetlenose's gaze. _As if I have any choice,_ he thought bitterly.

He followed the patrol out of camp with a sinking feeling at the pit of his stomach. He didn't like the idea of Foxflame being on a patrol alone with the RiverClan cats, particularly Eelscratch after what had just transpired between them. Something told him that she might try something stupid, and that would get him in trouble as well. Any excuse to punish them was valid for RiverClan, right?

As they padded through the territory, the wind began to grow stronger. The branches on the trees began to shake, which would only make it harder for Sageclaw to catch the five pieces of prey that he was allocated. It seemed even the weather was against him. The tom had been herded into the center of the patrol, in case he tried to escape at any point. Beetlenose led up front, whereas Rowanleap, another tom, took up the rear. The only she-cat on the patrol, Lilypelt, padded beside Beetlenose, talking with him quietly.

Finally, the patrol stopped under the shadow of an old willow tree. A few fox-lengths ahead of them was the ShadowClan border. Their rancid scent wafted into Sageclaw's nostrils, causing him to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

'Right,' Beetlenose said. 'Lilypelt and I will start hunting by the lakeshore. Rowanleap, you take the slave upstream. We'll meet back here at sunhigh. Agreed?'

They all nodded in agreement, and then the group separated. Rowanleap made Sageclaw lead, in case he tried to tackle the RiverClan warrior from behind. They padded swiftly, without saying a word to each other, until Rowanleap told him to stop by a stream. Sageclaw watched the fish swimming at pace through the stream, teasing him, before Rowanleap instructed him to hunt for as long as necessary, or rather, until he caught five pieces of prey.

Sageclaw looked at him curiously. 'Aren't you going to hunt?' he asked.

The ginger tom snorted. 'Why would I hunt when I have a slave to hunt for me?'

Sageclaw's eyes narrowed. He hated being called a slave – it was degrading and humiliating. _What happened to honor around this lake?_ Sageclaw thought angrily, as he began to hunt. _What happened to our pride in the warrior code? What happened to StarClan?_

He was a warrior, and so was Foxflame. They shouldn't be treated like this.. But what other choice did he have but to obey?

Sageclaw probed the air for a scent, searching for any prey in the area. He hadn't expected to find anything his first time, but he couldn't help but feel disheartened when he detected nothing. Except for the fish, which he couldn't even hunt without embarrassing himself. Slowly, he began to scrounge the area, moving slowly up and down the banks of the brooks, before sniffing around the trunks of the trees. Prey seemed to have gotten even scarcer overnight.

Finally, the scent of an animal entered his scent glands. Sageclaw's heart leapt with relief. It was a wren. The bird had just emerged from a large bed of reeds a few fox-lengths away, and was pecking slowly at the grass. Sageclaw instinctively dropped into a crouch, and began to stalk forward, his eyes fixed firmly on the wren. The tom could sense Rowanleap watching him carefully from behind; it only added to the growing knot that had begun to form in his stomach.

After a few moments, Sageclaw had maneuvered himself within striking distance of the bird. His claws itched with anticipation, and he wriggled his haunches until he felt ready to pounce. The wren was still foraging around, having not noticed a single thing out of the ordinary. He prepared himself, before exploding upward –

CRACK!

Sageclaw froze, just as he was about to leap, as the sound echoed through the area. Instantly, the bird looked up, and its keen eyes fell straight onto the tom. Cursing to the heavens, the warrior glanced down at his paws to see if he'd accidentally stepped on a twig, but confusion flowed through his body when he saw that he hadn't done anything of the sort. _Then what was that noise?_ he wondered. Swiftly, he readied himself for another leap, but before he could pounce again, the wren had already flown away and was disappearing into the distance.

Sageclaw could hardly believe it. _How didn't I catch it?_ he thought, aghast. _That bird was practically in my paws!_

Suddenly, a low chuckle came from just behind him. Sageclaw glanced up and turned around, expecting to hear Rowanleap's mocking voice, but instead, all he got was a feeling of absolute rage. The RiverClan tom sat off to one side, laughing hysterically, with a snapped twig beneath his right forepaw.

Sageclaw unsheathed his claws and hissed at the tom. 'You did that!' he shouted. 'You made me lose my prey! I nearly _had_ it!'

Quickly, the laughter stopped, and Rowanleap's eyes glazed over. 'Don't you dare blame me,' he growled. 'It's not my fault you couldn't hunt to save your life, ThunderClan scum.'

The brown and white tom's blood boiled at the mention of his home Clan. He clenched his paws together; he knew Rowanleap had only mentioned ThunderClan to tempt a reaction, but Sageclaw couldn't help it. _No one speaks about my Clan like that!_ he yowled mentally.

Swiftly, Rowanleap got to his paws, a smirk on his face. The RiverClan tom braced himself for the attack that he was certain was coming. Sageclaw growled and flexed his muscles, his temper flaring. Tension filled the air.

Rowanleap bared his fangs. 'Come on, then!' he goaded. 'Attack me!'

The ThunderClan tom was about to do just that when suddenly, an image of Foxflame entered his mind. He recalled the scene from earlier when she was facing up to Eelscratch, and he imagined himself attacking Rowanleap, letting his fury take over. The idea only made him more angry. _These cats don't deserve my respect!_ he snarled mentally. _They lost that right when they destroyed my Clan!_

But then, another voice echoed within his mind. The voice of logic.

He was reminded of the consequence of his actions, and what attacking Rowanleap would mean for him. If he let his temper rule, then he would injure the RiverClan warrior. Maybe even kill him! And then what would happen when RiverClan discovered his body?

Sageclaw looked deep into Rowanleap's eyes, and then he knew. That was exactly what Rowanleap wanted. If he attacked, the tom wouldn't defend himself. He would purposefully allow himself to be injured, because afterward, Sageclaw would suffer much more than he would.

 _No,_ the tom told himself. _I can't give him the satisfaction. If he returns to camp injured, it would be the end of me._ The thought forced Sageclaw to regain his self-control. He shook himself and sheathed his claws, before stepping back, his gaze fixed firmly onto the ground. Rowanleap's eyes widened in surprise as he did so. Sageclaw blinked, the smirk now upon his own face.

Rowanleap sat back down again with an annoyed look, his provocation foiled. 'Well,' he muttered. 'Carry on hunting, then.'

When Sageclaw returned to camp, it was well past sunhigh. His fur was ruffled and his eyes were shadowed and grumpy. The patrol flanking him carried two water voles, a squirrel, a swift and, despite his earlier "mistake", a wren, all caught by him. The camp was very quiet. Many of the cats were already headed toward their dens, but some remained, speaking in hushed voices with their friends. The patrol disbanded after Beetlenose reported the events of the patrol to Shellstorm; Sageclaw headed straight over to his and Foxflame's shared den. A guard hadn't been positioned at the entrance yet, although he was certain the deputy wouldn't forget.

Foxflame was already inside, grooming herself. She looked as equally tired as he was. The she-cat didn't acknowledge him as he settled down beside her in his nest. The carcass of a fish lay to one side, and Sageclaw's minimal reward for his labor was a trout. Foxflame's musty yellow eyes glowed brightly in the dim light, a sharp contrast to Sageclaw's own pale green.

'Hey,' he mewed hesitantly.

She didn't look up.

Sighing in frustration, Sageclaw turned his head. It appeared that Foxflame was in a strop with him for some reason or other. Sageclaw reached over and dragged the trout closer to him. It didn't look very appetizing, but he knew better than to refuse prey. Quickly, he wolfed down the scaly fish; it tasted wet and soggy in his mouth, but he ate it all the same. He knew he'd need his strength for tomorrow.

The tom stopped before he could take the last bite, and considered offering it to Foxflame. The bones of her fish were significantly smaller than his own, but for some reason, Sageclaw had a strange feeling that the dark ginger she-cat wouldn't appreciate his kindness.

'Did anything happen on your patrol?' he asked.

Foxflame was silent for a moment, before finally raising her head. 'Not much,' she grunted. 'I caught the prey that I had to, and that was it.'

For some reason, Sageclaw suspected she wasn't quite telling him the whole truth, but either way, he let it pass. 'Did it take you very long?'

She shrugged. 'A couple of hours.' Foxflame's ears pricked up slyly. 'It took you longer, though.'

Sageclaw rolled his eyes, and considered continuing the conversation, but in the end he decided against it. Foxflame would just find another excuse to start an argument with him.

Suddenly, a feeling of exhaustion washed over him after his long day of hunting, and he yawned dramatically. Those RiverClan cats from earlier had the right idea in retreating to their dens. Slowly, he curled into a ball and closed his eyes **,** before drifting off into a long, dreamless sleep.

* * *

 ** _[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]_**

 **A/N: To my guest reviewer, single quotation marks are, in fact, grammatically correct, as I believe it generally tends to vary depending on whether one is writing in British vs. American English. I intend to continue writing in this way, so as to keep with the style of the original author. - CCM**


	3. Chapter 2: Eaglefang

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER 2

The moor was barren and chilly, even within the comfort of the camp. The wind slashed across Eaglefang's face, and he blinked rapidly, his tail whisking from side to side. _How does WindClan bear this?_ he thought irritably. _At least in the forest, you had some sort of shelter._

Eaglefang was standing just outside the slaves' den. The faint sun was only just breaking over the horizon, and the WindClan camp was eerily quiet. No one apart from him was awake; the tom knew he should probably get some more rest before the long day ahead of him, but strangely, he didn't feel tired. In fact, he hadn't really felt tired at all since...

Eaglefang shook his ruffled brown fur, his keen amber eyes glimmering in the dimness of the morning. He glanced down, and noticed just how untidy his pelt was. 'I should probably clean myself up,' he murmured.

Slowly, he began to groom himself, with long, calming strokes of his tongue. The tom worked his way down his pelt, untangling the knots in his chest fur and smoothing out the wild tufts under his legs. After he'd finished, he reached out onto his front paws, stretching the firm muscles displayed across his thickset body. All the while, the silence remained like a spell on the WindClan camp. It seemed to Eaglefang like he was the only cat alive.

 _If only,_ the tom thought wistfully.

As the sun rose upward, Eaglefang's mind began to wander from the confines of the camp. He thought about the cats who he'd lost, as he always did when he was alone. They were so clear to him, and so close. He remembered them like they were standing right beside him now – and yet, they were so far away. The tom glanced up at the steadily brightening sky. He could still see the moon and stars shining above him. _Are you still watching me?_ he thought. _Are you still up there?_

A sudden burst of furious wind roused Eaglefang from his daydream. 'Why so melancholy, huh?' he growled under his breath. 'You're not helping anyone by sitting around and staring at the sky, are you?'

For a moment, he half wished someone would reassure him that his loved ones were resting in StarClan above, but even if they had, Eaglefang wouldn't have believed them. To be honest, Eaglefang wasn't sure he believed anything about StarClan anymore.

Steadily, the tom rose to his paws and turned around, his expression grave. He wished he could forget what he'd been thinking about, but now that the thought had passed through his mind, he probably wouldn't forget it for the rest of the day. _Another day of misery then,_ he thought, his pelt itching with frustration.

Eaglefang's eyes rested on the den that he'd emerged from earlier. He hadn't gotten much sleep that night, although that was partly due to the other cat he shared his den with, who hadn't yet woken up.

'I should probably go and check up on her,' he muttered, before padding back into the slaves' den.

It was dusty and pitch black in the den. The cramped space barely provided enough room for an apprentice, let alone two fully-grown warriors. Yet two fully-grown warriors was exactly what the den had accommodated for the past two moons. Eaglefang had to duck down before he could fit the full extent of his frame inside. Two small nests lay next to each other at the back of the den. The intense scent of cat filled the air, making Eaglefang sniff. He padded forward until his paws rested on the feathers he'd collected a few sunrises ago, and then he sat down in his nest, his eyes fixated on the sleeping form of the cat beside him. She was twitching and jerking at random intervals in her sleep. The tom sighed, his heart swelling with pity for the she-cat. She was having another nightmare. He could hear whispering in her sleep, echoing the names of cats they once knew.

Hesitantly, the tom reached forward with his front paw and rested it on the she-cat's shoulder. She didn't stir immediately, so instead, he began to shake her a little, his heart beating nervously.

The effect was immediate. The she-cat jumped up in her nest, her sky blue eyes wide with panic. 'Skystar!' she yowled.

The sudden motion took Eaglefang by surprise. He leapt backward, staring at her in shock. The she-cat's pelt was standing on end, terror evident on her face. For a moment, neither cat said a word. He was too surprised to react.

Finally, the tom managed to get a grip on himself. He swallowed nervously. 'Are you – are you alright?' he stammered.

The she-cat said nothing. Her eyes were fixed on something far in the distance.

Eaglefang shifted himself, before risking a cautious step closer. He called out as softly as he could. 'Are you alright?'

Finally, the she-cat turned her head, and her eyes met his own. Her jaw was trembling as she spoke. 'Eaglefang?' she stuttered.

Relief washed over the tom, and he let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding in. 'Yes, Palewhisper,' he said, taking the final steps closer to her. 'It's me.'

Recognition flooded back into the she-cat's eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, before apparently deciding against it. She looked down at the ground, her eyes watering up in a mixture of shame and fear. It wasn't long before the tears were streaming down her face like a waterfall. Eaglefang tried to comfort her as she sobbed, but the awkwardness he felt was obvious in the way he held himself. She leaned against him, crying onto his shoulder. He held her as soothingly as he could, before lowering his head down to her level.

'Palewhisper,' he whispered quietly, hesitating a moment. 'Palewhisper, do you need anything? Do you want to talk about it?'

She sniffed, and raised her head off his shoulder, her eyes still swimming with tears. 'Don't bother,' she replied sadly. 'It was just another stupid nightmare.'

Palewhisper was the only other ThunderClan cat with him in the camp. After the attack, they'd been taken captive and imprisoned as slaves in WindClan. There had been other survivors, and Eaglefang remembered them vividly. Sageclaw and Foxflame, who had been sent to RiverClan, and Smoketalon and Aspenpaw, who had been sent to ShadowClan. Aspenpaw had been his apprentice before the attack; Eaglefang hoped his fellow warrior Smoketalon was looking after him well.

Ever since they'd arrived in the WindClan camp, Palewhisper had been having vivid nightmares, almost every night. Sometimes she told him about them, others she didn't. Eaglefang could understand why she was struggling to recover from their Clan's destruction, even two moons after it had happened. Skystar, the once leader of ThunderClan, had been her mother, and Willowflight, the once medicine cat, had been her best friend.

Eaglefang nuzzled her cheek softly. The tom had a somewhat protective streak with Palewhisper. He would never allow a cat to suffer in such a way without his help. 'Was it the same one you told me about last sunrise?' he asked.

She shook her head. 'No,' she sniffled. 'It was different this time, and it was so vivid! I could see all of them right there in front of me. They were... She trailed off, not meeting Eaglefang's amber gaze.

'You can tell me,' Eaglefang reassured her. 'I swear I won't tell anyone.'

She looked up, her eyes wide with horror. 'They were all covered in blood.'

Then the she-cat buried herself into Eaglefang's chest, whimpering softly. The tom stroked the she-cat's pale white fur as softly as he could, although his body was rigid. Her heart was beating furiously, so fast he thought it might punch a hole through him. They stayed like that for awhile, with Palewhisper's quiet sobbing the only sound Eaglefang could hear.

Finally, he pulled away. Sunlight was beginning to seep into the shadowy interior of the slaves' den; the sun had risen quickly since he'd woken Palewhisper. The she-cat still looked upset, but nonetheless in a considerably better state than she'd been in before.

'I know this is probably the last thing you want to hear right now,' Eaglefang began, feeling guilty for bringing the subject up, 'but it's almost light out there. The WindClan cats will be waking up.'

Palewhisper didn't say anything.

The ThunderClan tom shifted uncomfortably. 'Look,' he continued. 'I don't like this anymore than you do, but we have work to do–'

'I know,' Palewhisper murmured. She licked her flank, almost self-consciously. 'You're right,' she meowed with a sigh. 'We should get going.'

The she-cat stood up, and began to pad toward the entrance, her eyes down. Eaglefang's heart twisted when he saw the expression on her face.

'Wait!' the tom exclaimed suddenly, surprising even himself. He rushed forward, standing between the she-cat and the exit. 'You can stay here,' he offered. 'I'll go and do the first job, whatever it is. Just remember not to provoke them if they come looking for you.'

Palewhisper blinked, glancing away from the tom's brilliant amber gaze. Eaglefang thought he saw a hint of a blush on her cheeks. 'Really?' she mewed softly.

Eaglefang nodded. 'Really.'

He then turned around and ducked out of the den, leaving Palewhisper still standing inside. He knew it was the right thing to do. The she-cat was in no fit position to work.

Eaglefang was correct when he said that the WindClan cats would be waking up, as well. The moor cats were early risers, even more so than his birth Clan. Not every cat was awake yet, but many of the warriors were loitering around the fresh-kill pile, enjoying their first meal of the day. The tom's eyes narrowed at the sight. It would be much later until he and Palewhisper got their first sniff of prey.

He settled down onto his haunches, watching over the camp. The slaves' den was slightly elevated over the rest of the dens, giving him a good view of the camp's entrance. If anyone unfamiliar entered the camp, he would be the first one to know about it, save for the guards of course.

Some of the WindClan cats glanced his way as he watched. As soon as the tom returned the gaze though, they looked away, their heads held high. Their expressions reminded Eaglefang of a cat who'd found carrion in their fresh-kill. He had to stifle a long, low growl.

A few moments passed, and the whole of the camp seemed to have woken up. All of the warriors were out of their nests, and even some of the queens and apprentices were beginning to nose their way out into the clearing. _The first patrols will be leaving soon,_ the tom thought warily. _They'll probably want me to come with them for some errand or other._

As soon as this thought crossed his mind, the lichens that formed a curtain over the entrance to the leader's den parted, and out stepped Gorsestar, leader of WindClan. He padded forward until he was standing beside the fresh-kill pile, greeting his warriors. Unlike many other leaders, Gorsestar was always present whenever the deputy organized the daily patrols. In fact, the tom often lead one himself.

His eyes were warm and bright as he talked to his warriors, although his mood became brusque when Sandpelt, his deputy, emerged from the crowd to discuss the patrols. They shared a few quiet words, before Gorsestar stepped back, allowing the deputy to address the gathered warriors.

'WindClan!' the she-cat announced. There was a hint of pride in her voice as she spoke. 'I know you have gathered to hear the patrols, but first of all, Gorsestar has a special announcement.' She turned to face the leader seared just behind her. 'Gorsestar?'

The WindClan leader nodded. 'Thank you, Sandpelt,' he meowed politely, before stepping forward to stand beside his deputy. His voice was deep and commanding. 'Now, I am sure you're all very aware of the fact that a few sunrises ago, I finally came to an agreement with Ravenstar about the distribution of what was once ThunderClan's territory.'

As soon as the words passed through Gorsestar's lips, Eaglefang felt his claws beginning to unsheathe. White hot fury passed over him like a wave. _They have no right to share out that land!_ he yowled in his head.

'Ravenstar was demanding an excessively large portion of the territory,' Gorsestar continued. 'Over half of it, in fact, which of course, neither we nor RiverClan agreed with. Just because ShadowClan formulated the plan to attack ThunderClan does not mean they should take full credit.'

His words were followed by a number of supportive growls.

'How dare they?'

'Selfish fox-hearts!'

'We lost warriors fighting that battle!'

Their voices were like a poison to Eaglefang's ears. You _lost warriors fighting that battle?_ he thought, enraged. _You stripped us of everything that made us ThunderClan! Our dignity, our pride. You even slaughtered our kits!_

Gorsestar lifted a forepaw, demanding the attention of his warriors. 'ShadowClan's ridiculous demands were not tolerated,' he hissed icily. 'It took the combined efforts of myself and Streamstar to convince them, but finally, we succeeded. WindClan now owns all of the land from our camp to the beginning of what was once ThunderClan's. ShadowClan owns the strip of land from the Sky Oak to their border. RiverClan's new territory, however, is an altogether different matter. Because they live completely on the opposite of the lake, we have agreed to not only hunt for ourselves, but also to catch prey for RiverClan.'

A few of the WindClan warriors glanced at each other. Eaglefang heard one of them whisper, 'It will be an awful lot of work to catch prey for ourselves _and_ RiverClan, especially now that it's nearly leafbare.'

But Gorsestar paid no attention to their grumbles. 'We will send out two patrols into our new territory each day. One will bring back prey for ourselves, and the other will take whatever they catch and deliver it to RiverClan. A patrol will be waiting on the RiverClan border at sunhigh to collect the fresh-kill that our patrol catches.' He waited to see if any cat protested this, but none of them did. He nodded approvingly. 'Good. Sandpelt will now organize the patrols.'

Eaglefang watched, outraged, as the deputy called the two patrols together. He had known for a while that ThunderClan's territory would be shared between the three remaining Clans, but it still made him angry. _What will happen if_ _I_ _have to patrol it?_ he thought. _What will happen if Palewhisper has to patrol it?_

Eaglefang didn't want to think about it.

The tom wondered whether one of the patrol leaders would order him to come on their patrol, but none of them did. Instead, he watched them leave the camp and head back in the direction of the ThunderClan border, or what used to be the ThunderClan border, anyway. He glanced over his shoulder, toward the slaves' den. Palewhisper hadn't yet come out after him. Eaglefang would prefer it to stay that way.

None of the WindClan cats approached him for a while. The tawny brown tom sat there tensely, waiting for his first job of the morning. His new "masters" (as they often called themselves when they were talking to him) didn't usually take him out hunting. They didn't trust him enough, although he'd heard that over in RiverClan Sageclaw and Foxflame were forced to catch a certain amount of prey each day, or else.

The last cat to wake up in the camp, in fact, was the medicine cat, Ryesong. She padded out into the clearing late, and although she still looked tired, her eyes held a bright and lively gleam. The she-cat's pelt was very dark brown, almost black, and she had a small frame and two shrewd green eyes. She paused to speak to a warrior Eaglefang recognized from a patrol he'd been on a moon ago. Her name was Morningflight. The medicine cat's eyes glanced in Eaglefang's direction a number of times, and even from the other side of camp, the tom could see the uneasiness in Morningflight's expression. After a few moments conversation, Ryesong said goodbye to the she-cat, and started to pad toward Eaglefang.

Instantly, he sat up, alert and vigilant. He hadn't really spoken to the medicine cat before, although on the few occasions where he had, he'd felt reserved about her. She was very talkative, and relatively friendly compared to some of her WindClan counterparts. She didn't have an apprentice, so she often called on her Clanmates to come and help search for herbs with her.

Although Ryesong approached him confidently, Eaglefang instantly latched onto the nervousness in her eyes. She wasn't intimidated by him, after all, as he was only a slave, but she struck him as the kind of cat who would be nervous whenever she met someone new. However, Eaglefang could see something else in her eyes as well. A kind of curiosity, perhaps?

The she-cat stopped just before she reached him, looking uncomfortable. 'Hey,' she said slowly. 'Um, Eaglefang, wasn't it?'

The tom nodded. His expression was steely and unfriendly.

She coughed. 'Well, Eaglefang,' she mewed, looking away, 'I have to go out and collect some catmint. That's an herb, in case you didn't know.'

Eaglefang's tail twitched irritably. _Does she think I'm a complete mousebrain?_

'And, uh, it grows near the RiverClan border.' She hesitated. 'Most of the warriors are out on patrol already, so could you come with me in case of, well, you know...?' She trailed off, the awkwardness clear in her gaze.

Eaglefang felt like snorting. _A_ _s_ _if it's a request._ But he didn't voice this thought. Instead, he simply nodded and got to his paws. 'Alright.'

The medicine cat nodded back at him, before turning and heading toward the entrance of the camp. Eaglefang followed after her. He bowed his head as respectfully as he could muster toward the WindClan cats still in camp, but they simply sneered back at him, or just didn't look.

Ryesong stopped just before the entrance. There was one guard positioned there, a greyish tabby tom called Slatefrost. He nodded politely toward the medicine cat, but his eyes narrowed when he spotted Eaglefang behind her.

'Hey,' Ryesong greeted him cheerily. 'Nice morning, huh?'

The warrior grunted. 'You going out to collect herbs?' he asked.

'Yes, as a matter of fact.'

'Surely that's a _one_ cat job?' he said, referencing Eaglefang's presence beside her. The tom felt like hissing at him. _If you've got something more to say, why don't you just say it, then?_ he thought.

'I requested for a warrior to accompany me, as the herbs I need grow close by the RiverClan border, you see,' Ryesong explained shortly. 'Could you let us pass?'

Slatefrost didn't budge. Clearly, he was unsatisfied with Ryesong's explanation. 'I'm sure a lot of us would feel more comfortable if a WindClan cat was the one who went with you,' he replied bluntly.

Eaglefang half expected Ryesong to turn around and send him back to the slaves' den, but to his surprise, the she-cat didn't budge either. 'Oh, please! I'm not in any danger from him,' she retorted stubbornly. 'It's not as though this cat's about to kill me.'

Ryesong's eyes flashed with annoyance, but it passed quicker than it had come. 'I'm sorry, but can you see a warrior free in the camp at the moment?' she added. 'Most of our warriors are out on patrol, unless _you_ would willingly abandon your position to supervise me.'

Eaglefang felt like smirking. Ryesong was very persuasive, and he wasn't surprised when Slatefrost sighed, stepping aside to let the medicine cat through. 'Alright,' he meowed eventually. 'Go on.'

The she-cat muttered her thanks as she ducked underneath the entrance, but as Eaglefang followed after her, Slatefrost leaned in close and whispered into his ear. 'She'd better come back okay,' he hissed. 'Or else it's on your head.'

The hills of WindClan's territory were steep and bare. If it had been greenleaf, they would've been covered in lush, green grass, but now the ground was a dead, brown color. In a moon or so, it would likely be covered in a thick blanket of snow. Eaglefang imagined the forest in leafbare. Soft, glistening snowflakes gliding down from the branches of the trees, while he was lulled to sleep warm and cozy in the shelter of the warriors' den. He sighed, reminiscing the time he spent in ThunderClan. _Those were the days,_ he thought.

As they walked, the tom started to become ever more aware of the awkward silence growing between himself and Ryesong. Eaglefang would've preferred it to stay that way, but the medicine cat seemed uncomfortable with it.

'So,' she said uncertainly. 'How are you fitting into WindClan?'

Eaglefang flattened his ears disbelievingly at her. _Did she seriously just ask me that?_

Ryesong seemed to realize the stupidity of her question as well, because she instantly backtracked. 'I'm sorry,' she apologized, sounding embarrassed. 'It's just, well, you're new here and I guess I just thought–'

'It's alright,' Eaglefang muttered, although it definitely wasn't. 'Let's just keep moving.'

Ryesong opened her mouth to say something more, before evidently deciding against it. The two cats remained silent as they walked for the rest of the journey. It was only until Eaglefang could practically taste the water of the lake in his mouth before he heard Ryesong's voice again.

'Here we are,' she mewed, sitting down with her tail resting neatly on her paws.

Eaglefang followed the she-cat's gaze to spot two shrubs of herbs growing beside the lakeshore. The RiverClan border lay to one side of them, and beyond that, a large clump of reeds. He breathed in the scents of the area, and closed his eyes in pleasure when the catmint's sweet aroma wafted into his scent glands. Ryesong had picked up the smell as well, but didn't seem as delighted by the herb as he was. _She's probably used to it by now,_ Eaglefang gathered.

The she-cat then padded forward, Eaglefang at her side, until they reached the herb shrubs. 'Right,' Ryesong meowed. 'You take the leaves from that side, and I'll take them from here.'

Eaglefang nodded. 'How much do you want?' he asked.

'As much as you can get,' the medicine cat replied. 'We'll need the supplies for when leafbare comes.'

The tomcat grunted, leaning down to carefully pluck the leaves from his shrub. The catmint's smell was intoxicating. Eaglefang's mouth began to water, but he resisted the temptation to take a huge bite out of the herbs, and instead concentrated on collecting as much as possible.

The silence between the pair of cats continued awhile longer. Ryesong picked the herbs daintily, making sure not to damage the plant in doing so. The tom tried to imitate her, but light touches had never exactly been his strong suit.

It was only after Eaglefang had picked almost all the petals on the plant that Ryesong spoke up again. 'Look, Eaglefang,' she mewed quietly. 'I've been meaning to say this for a while, ever since the attack, actually.'

Instantly, the tom froze, the catmint still in his mouth. The medicine cat's eyes were fixated on him, filled with an emotion he couldn't read. Slowly, the tom returned to his work, refusing to meet her gaze.

'I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I...' she paused for a moment, before carrying on. 'I really didn't want Gorsestar to attack ThunderClan. I tried to convince him not to, but Ravenstar had been so persuasive. Afterward, Gorsestar refused to listen to reason.'

With every word the medicine cat said to him, the anger within Eaglefang began to rise. But still, he didn't say a word back to her, although his lips were trembling.

'When the patrol came back, after the attack, I didn't know what to think,' she meowed, a hint of desperation in her voice. 'I had no idea what to say to Gorsestar. He looked so victorious, but I just felt ashamed.'

Eaglefang felt his claws start to unsheathe.

'I guess what I'm trying to say,' she continued, 'is that I've lost cats too. I'm not trying to say that I understand what you've been through–'

'Shut up!' Eaglefang snapped, turning on the she-cat, his eyes ablaze. He couldn't hold back his anger. Everything he'd kept bottled up over the past two moons had suddenly exploded from him. 'You have _no_ _idea_ what Palewhisper and I have been through!'

Ryesong stepped back, shocked. Clearly she hadn't expected Eaglefang to react in the way he had. 'I'm sorry!' she cried. 'I just wanted to say sorry!'

'I don't want your apology,' he growled, bristling. 'Nor do I need it. It went beyond apology when you _murdered_ my Clan! How would you have felt if someone barged into _your_ camp and massacred all your kits? How would you feel if three whole Clans ambushed you and killed your leader, right in front of your eyes?'

The medicine cat didn't say anything. Her eyes were filled with shame, but Eaglefang didn't take any notice.

'You know what the worst thing is?' he snarled bitterly. 'Apart from the fact that everyone I loved has died, and that StarClan has abandoned me. It's that _I_ was the one who survived. I have to remember my Clan's destruction, every day, and live with the fact that there was nothing I could've done to stop it. And there's nothing I can do to take it back.'

The hair along Ryesong's spine was standing on end. She stared at him, horrified, but Eaglefang didn't feel any pity for her. All he could see was red-mist. The tom might've have struck the medicine cat had it not been for the cry.

It cracked loudly through the air and echoed into Eaglefang's ear drums. He spun around, surprised, to see a group of cats emerging from the other side of the border. It was a RiverClan hunting patrol. Four strongly muscled warriors padded forward, carrying an array of fresh-kill within their jaws. Behind them trailed a dark ginger she-cat who looked vaguely familiar, but Eaglefang couldn't quite place where he'd seen her before.

Working on instinct, the tom spun around and hissed at Ryesong. 'Quick. Hide behind the catmint.'

The she-cat didn't have to be asked twice. She leapt forward with all the haste of a startled rabbit. Eaglefang ducked down low to the ground, and peered over the shrub, eyeing the approaching patrol warily.

'I hate this,' one of the RiverClan warriors was muttering. 'We've been out here for hours. Why don't we all just hunt and get it done quicker?'

The dark ginger she-cat muttered something in retort which Eaglefang couldn't pick up on, earning her a hiss from one of the other RiverClan warriors. 'Because,' the same tom replied, 'we've got someone to do it for us. Why waste the energy?'

Eaglefang's eyes narrowed. He'd definitely seen that she-cat before. It was something in the bitingly sarcastic expression on her face, and the venom in her musty yellow eyes.

And that's when he finally recognized her. _Of course!_ he thought excitedly. _Foxflame!_

Quickly, he glanced sideways at Ryesong. 'Don't say a word,' he whispered. 'Or they'll see us.'

Ryesong looked at him strangely. 'Why are you protecting me?' she asked, mystified.

Eaglefang held her gaze evenly. 'That's why you wanted me to come with you, isn't it?' he replied. 'To protect you?'

The she-cat didn't say anything in return.

'Right,' one of the RiverClan toms said. He shoved Foxflame forward, earning a few shorts laughs from his fellow warriors. 'Get hunting, little she-cat.'

Eaglefang clenched his paws together, expecting Foxflame to react (he'd learnt from experience not to get under her fur), but all she did was eye the tom dangerously, before dropping her nose to the ground and getting to work.

The ThunderClan tom watched from behind the catmint, not saying a word, as Foxflame hunted. Eaglefang had to say, he was mildly impressed. _She's adapted well to the RiverClan style of hunting,_ he thought. _Much better than I have to WindClan._

But despite her stealthy crouches and efficient nose, the she-cat was unable to catch any prey, mostly because the RiverClan toms were chanting jibes at her the entire time. After a few minutes, Foxflame finally gave up, and so too did the rest of the patrol. Eaglefang was relieved when they started to pad away, deeper into RiverClan territory.

But just before they left, Eaglefang happened to catch part of the RiverClan toms' conversation. 'She's pretty feisty, isn't she?' one of them was saying. ' _And_ sexy. I wouldn't mind spending a day alone with her, if you know what I mean.'

Eaglefang instantly recoiled, disgusted. _That fox-heart!_ he thought, but either Foxflame didn't hear the toms, or she did a fantastic job of pretending she didn't. The RiverClan toms disappeared into the undergrowth on their side of the border, the she-cat trailing along after them.

But just before she did, she stopped and turned around. Her golden eyes skirted the land around them, before finally coming to rest upon the catmint shrub where Eaglefang was hiding. For a moment, he thought he saw her eyes flash, and he stiffened. _Did she see me?_

There was a moment of tense silence, where Eaglefang wasn't sure if he should call out to her or not, but eventually, the she-cat shook her head and padded away after the patrol.

The tom let out a sigh of relief, before signaling to Ryesong that everything was clear. The two cats stood up. Eaglefang brushed some of the dirt from his pelt, then took a glance at the medicine cat. She seemed reluctant to speak, but the tom still didn't regret what he'd said earlier. Sniffing, he bent down and picked up the bundle of catmint that was lying on the ground.

'Have we got enough for you?' he rasped, facing away from her.

Eaglefang heard a noncommittal grunt from the she-cat, but nothing else. He nodded curtly, before turning and padding back in the direction of the WindClan camp. Not a word was said between the two on the way back.

The sun's light was struggling to break through a thick layer of cloud when they returned, and many of the WindClan cats were still out on patrol. Slatefrost gave Eaglefang a suspicious stare as he padded past him through the entrance, but Ryesong had returned to camp safely. There was nothing for the guard to complain about.

The tom muttered a hasty goodbye to the medicine cat, and was about to head back in the direction of the slaves' den, when suddenly, he heard Ryesong speak up from behind him. 'Eaglefang?'

He glanced over his shoulder at the she-cat. She was staring at the ground. '...Thank you for protecting me back there.'

Eaglefang's eyes widened a little. He hadn't expected her to thank him, but the memory of what she'd said beforehand was still fresh in his mind. He passed off her gratitude with a flick of his tail, before heading back over to his den.

When he reached it, he sniffed at the air to see if Palewhisper had left since he'd been gone. To his relief, he could still smell her fresh scent lingering amongst the dusty smells of the den. He ducked inside the burrow to see the she-cat curled up into a ball in her nest. As soon as he entered, she looked up, her eyes bright.

'Hi, Eaglefang,' she greeted him warmly.

Eaglefang smiled for what felt like the first time in moons. 'Hey,' he replied, settling down into his nest beside her. 'Did you go back to sleep?'

The she-cat nodded. 'I was still kind of tired after you woke me,' she mewed, sounding a little shy. 'No one came to fetch me for a patrol, so I thought I'd have a rest.'

Eaglefang nodded, vaguely surprised. He hadn't expected the she-cat to be in such a good mood after he left her early that morning. In fact, he hadn't seen her that lively in moons.

The thought of that cheered him up considerably, as well.

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_


	4. Chapter 3: Smoketalon

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER 3

'Stop! You're jumping too high. Do it like this...'

Smoketalon sat in the sandy hollow, watching the training session with vague curiosity. It was dusk, and the sun was sinking fast. Night was closing in. ShadowClan preferred to hold their training sessions later in the day, when long shadows were cast on the forest floor. There was a reason for the namesake of their Clan, after all.

The two apprentices were grappling on the floor, hissing and snarling at each other ferociously. As soon as their mentor, Addertooth, spoke, they rolled away from each other and stood up, brushing dirt from their fur. It was noticeable how one of them was covered in bleeding scratches while the other was not. Smoketalon's eyes narrowed at the sight. _He wouldn't be if he was allowed to fight back,_ he thought spitefully.

The apprentice's name was Aspenpaw, a young, light grey tomcat with amber eyes. Usually, they would've been filled with bright enthusiasm, but now his eyes were dull as he licked at his bleeding wounds. Smoketalon thought that Aspenpaw could have beaten the other apprentice quite comfortably if he had been allowed to fight back, or unsheathe his claws. But of course, it wasn't meant to be a fair fight. Aspenpaw was a ThunderClan slave, after all, and the other apprentice was being allowed to practice on him.

Addertooth took his apprentice, Wolfpaw, to one side, whispering careful encouragement into the young cat's ear. The young tom nodded; his breath was fast and uneven. Aspenpaw turned his head toward Smoketalon, perhaps searching for advice as well, but the elder black tom looked away.

After a moment's pause, the two apprentices began sparring again. Wolfpaw hissed with bitter ferocity as he fought, but Aspenpaw looked resigned and tired. Smoketalon shook his head. _He_ _doesn't stand a chance anymore,_ he thought with disinterest. _He's given up._

The ThunderClan warrior glanced over his shoulder toward the entrance to the training hollow. A stockily built she-cat called Cedarheart stood there, watching him to make sure he didn't try to escape. Smoketalon sized her up, green eyes glinting. _I could beat her in a fight easily,_ he thought. The she-cat was bigger than him, but Smoketalon was quicker, and much more intelligent. He'd have her on the floor in seconds. As soon as the she-cat noticed him watching her, her lip curled with hostility, and Smoketalon sneered back.

Wolfpaw had Aspenpaw pinned to the ground. The ThunderClan apprentice struggled weakly, but Wolfpaw's eyes were devoid of pity. He dug his claws into Aspenpaw's back. The grey tom grunted in pain, his voice muffled by the dirt.

'Submit,' Wolfpaw rasped.

Aspenpaw didn't reply.

The ShadowClan tom shifted his weight so that his paws were pressuring Aspenpaw's face further into the ground. The apprentice flinched. 'Submit!' he commanded.

Aspenpaw somehow managed to summon the strength to hiss back at him, but nothing more than that. He shuddered, before eventually muttering through gritted teeth. 'I submit.'

Finally, Wolfpaw withdrew, allowing the other apprentice to stand up. Aspenpaw did so shakily. His pelt was littered with scratches, although they hadn't pierced his skin too badly. For a moment, the apprentice's yellow eyes met those of Smoketalon. The black warrior stared back unflinchingly.

Addertooth padded forward. 'Well done, Wolfpaw!' he praised. 'You fought well, using your speed and agility to outwit your opponent, and I have to say, I'm impressed.'

Despite the fact he was still out of breath, Wolfpaw puffed out his chest arrogantly. 'He was easy to beat,' the young tom boasted. 'Did you see how I pinned him to the ground? He didn't even stand a chance!'

Aspenpaw's eyes narrowed with annoyance. He opened his mouth, tempted to react, but in the end decided against it.

'Can we carry on training?' Wolfpaw pleaded with his mentor. 'I was just getting into it.'

Addertooth glanced up at the sky thoughtfully. The clouds were beginning to turn black against the burning orange sunset. After a moment's pause, he shook his head. 'No,' he mewed. 'I'm due for the night patrol, and with all the new territory we've gained, ShadowClan will need as many paws in the camp as possible.'

The mere mention of ShadowClan's new territory made Smoketalon want to slit the other warrior's throat right then and there. He unsheathed his claws, growling under his breath. _ShadowClan foxheart!_ he thought furiously.

Thankfully, Addertooth didn't notice him. Instead, the tom padded straight past him, Wolfpaw at his side, until they reached the entrance to the hollow. He whispered something under his breath to Cedarheart, who nodded, before disappearing into the forest.

The grey she-cat then turned to face Smoketalon, her long, slender tail twitching. 'Come on,' she grunted. 'We're heading back to camp.'

Smoketalon's pelt bristled indignantly. 'I know!' he spat. 'Did you think I'm a mousebrain?'

Cedarheart's eyes bulged stupidly. 'Why, you little–'

But the she-cat didn't get a chance to continue. Smoketalon had already darted past her and out into the dense undergrowth. He heard the she-cat hiss angrily, but she didn't seem willing to carry on the argument. Instead, she just watched him carefully from behind, making sure he didn't try to make a run for it.

Smoketalon ducked and weaved his way through the trees at pace, racing after the already fading scent of Wolfpaw and Addertooth. Aspenpaw followed him closely, trying desperately to keep up with the older tom. He was already out of breath from the training session, and his wounds did nothing to help him. Smoketalon could hear the apprentice's exhausted pants from behind as he followed in his wake.

'Smoketalon!' Aspenpaw rasped, breaking the silence. 'Please, could you slow down? I can't keep up.'

Had it been any other situation, Smoketalon would've scoffed and told the apprentice to try harder, but Aspenpaw was clearly too tired to carry on, and it would've been cruel to make him. Reluctantly, the tom slowed his pace, allowing Aspenpaw to catch up with him. The young tom blinked gratefully at him, but Smoketalon didn't reply.

There were a few moments of awkward silence. Smoketalon kept his emotionless gaze fixed firmly ahead, but he could tell Aspenpaw was dying to say something.

'I'm sorry I lost the sparring contest,' the apprentice murmured. 'I should've fought back better.'

Smoketalon's tail twitched with vague surprise. 'You don't have to apologize,' he grunted. 'It wasn't a fair fight.'

'I know!' Aspenpaw meowed. 'But I saw the look on your face after Wolfpaw pinned me down. You looked ashamed.'

He trailed off when he saw the steely glint in Smoketalon's eyes. He waited for the warrior to say something, but when he didn't, the apprentice turned away, his tail between his legs.

Neither of the toms said anything else for the remainder of their short journey through the trees. It occurred to Smoketalon that the apprentice looked absolutely miserable. He considered asking him what was wrong, but quickly decided against it. _He's an apprentice, not a kit!_ Smoketalon thought firmly. _He can take care of himself._

The ShadowClan camp was smothered in darkness. Cleverly concealed by a thick wall of trees and shrubs, you wouldn't have even noticed it was there had it not been for the overwhelming scent of cat. Addertooth padded confidently with his apprentice through the entrance, Smoketalon and Aspenpaw behind them. As soon as they entered, the ShadowClan warriors within stared dangerously at the two slaves, their claws unsheathed and fangs bared.

Addertooth padded up to the leader's den and briefly ducked inside the lichen entrance, probably just to give Ravenstar the go ahead that they'd returned. After that, the tom retreated to the warriors' den with Cedarheart to get some rest before the night patrol, leaving Wolfpaw to escort Smoketalon and Aspenpaw back to the slaves' "den".

In truth, it couldn't really be described as a den. It was more of a hole in the ground than anything else. The ShadowClan cats had dug it out for Smoketalon and Aspenpaw just after they'd arrived, but none had deemed them worthy enough of a proper place to sleep. The ThunderClan warrior wrinkled his nose as they approached. Not only was it small and confined, but it stank like crowfood.

Many of the ShadowClan cats growled and hissed as Smoketalon passed. Aspenpaw pressed closer to him, clearly unnerved by their aggression. The warrior made sure to keep his body firm and reassuring. It would do neither of them any good to rile Aspenpaw into a panic.

'You know, I'm surprised you can actually live in that den,' Wolfpaw sneered as they reached the hole. 'Why don't you just become a rat while you're at it?'

Smoketalon's ears flattened in anger. You _look more of a rat than I do,_ he thought angrily.

'I don't know why Ravenstar even thought you'd be useful to this Clan,' the apprentice continued. 'You can't fight, you can't hunt, you can't even defend your own kits!'

It took all of Smoketalon's self-control not to pounce on Wolfpaw right there and then. He imagined sinking his fangs into the apprentice's neck, and watching him squirm in agony. _That would show this little piece of foxdung!_

And had it not been for Aspenpaw, he might've done just that. The small grey tom's yellow eyes were wide and fearful. The ThunderClan warrior met the apprentice's gaze as levelly as he could. Something about his expression was somewhat... soothing.

Wolfpaw looked at him expectantly, anticipating a reaction. An expression of frustration passed over his face when Smoketalon remained silent. 'Whatever,' he muttered, turning around to leave. 'See you around, ThunderClan scum.'

As soon as he'd left, Aspenpaw turned to Smoketalon. 'I hate that arrogant piece of foxdung!' he growled viciously. 'He makes me wanna be sick.'

Smoketalon grunted in agreement, before ducking down and padding into the slaves' den. The revolting stench from within was even worse close up. He and Aspenpaw had pulled together two makeshift nests the previous sunrise, just bearable enough to sleep in. They were damp and muddy. A small puddle of water lay at the bottom of the den.

Aspenpaw followed him in, looking like he actually _was_ about to be sick. Smoketalon shifted his nest a little further away from the puddle. He glanced upward at the sky disapprovingly. The outlines of a few rainclouds hovered in the sky. When it rained, the water soaked into the den, and the small overhang above provided little to nothing in terms of shelter.

'I'm _not_ getting my pelt wet again tonight,' Smoketalon grumbled, as he moved the feathers. 'No way.'

When he finally managed to get comfortable in his nest (or at least as close to comfortable as possible), the black tom blinked, his eyelids feeling heavy. The beginnings of a yawn arose in his throat. He was just about to shut his eyes and drift off to sleep when he heard a grunt of pain come from the other side of the den. Smoketalon glanced up to see Aspenpaw staring sullenly at the wounds that had been inflicted upon him earlier. The bleeding had ceased, but they hadn't stopped bothering him yet. Stinging pain was evident in the hunched over way he was holding himself.

All of a sudden, Smoketalon felt an unfamiliar burst of emotion. He couldn't quite place what it was. Regret? Annoyance? Pity? Whatever it was, the warrior knew he couldn't let the young cat suffer on his own.

'Make sure you clean out those wounds,' he instructed carefully.

Aspenpaw looked up in surprise, but Smoketalon refused to let any emotion show on his face. 'Cleaning them will help to stop any infection from setting in,' he carried on, almost defensively. 'There's probably a lot of dirt in the cuts from earlier.'

For a moment, all Aspenpaw did was look bewildered, before turning away shyly. He began to lick his scratches with slow rasps of his tongue. Smoketalon watched, making sure the apprentice had treated every single one.

After he'd finished, Aspenpaw's amber eyes lit up with a newfound brightness. He opened his mouth to speak, but Smoketalon spun around before he could.

Just before the warrior could close his eyes, however, he heard a cautious whisper from the other side of the den. 'Thank you.'

Smoketalon didn't answer that one.

* * *

A rough shoulder harshly roused Smoketalon from his sleep. 'Wake up!' the accompanying voice commanded. 'We're going on a hunting patrol.'

Smoketalon blinked open his eyes to a see a ShadowClan warrior with a long pelt of shaggy black fur. He blended in perfectly with the darkness of the den, and Smoketalon could only make him out by the harsh glimmer of his amber eyes. The tom's name was Nightwhisper. He had led one of the patrols in the ThunderClan attack.

The thought of going out on patrol so late at night made Smoketalon's pelt crawl in annoyance. He glared unflinchingly back at him. 'A hunting patrol? In the middle of the _night?_ We won't catch a single thing.'

Nightwhisper didn't budge. 'Perhaps a ThunderClan patrol wouldn't,' he said mildly. 'But we are not ThunderClan.'

Smoketalon hissed in frustration, but didn't bother arguing. The ShadowClan cat withdrew, allowing him to get to his paws. The puddle of water had grown in size since he'd fallen asleep.

Across the den, Aspenpaw stirred in his nest, but didn't wake up. Smoketalon glanced at Nightwhisper. 'Is he coming?'

He snorted. 'No. He'll just burden us.'

Smoketalon released a short sigh of relief. The apprentice still hadn't fully recovered from his wounds, and was in no condition to go out on another patrol. What Aspenpaw needed most was some rest.

The ShadowClan tom padded out of the den, gesturing with his tail for Smoketalon to follow him. He did so reluctantly. It was cold and dark in the camp. The moon shone brightly overhead, with the constellations of StarClan twinkling beside it. Nightwhisper led him over to the camp entrance where the rest of the patrol was waiting. Addertooth was there, along with a she-cat called Whitepool. Each acknowledged Nightwhisper's presence with a tip of their heads, but no such respect was shown to Smoketalon.

'Good,' Addertooth meowed, addressing Nightwhisper. 'You brought the slave.'

'Of course,' Nightwhisper replied, much to Smoketalon's distaste.

The two toms glanced to one side, before leaning in closely and whispering with hushed voices to each other. Smoketalon angled his ears toward them with interest. There was a clear impatience in their expressions. He tried to eavesdrop, but only picked up on a few of the words, ones like "deputy" and "leaving".

Smoketalon's eyes narrowed. _Are they talking about their deputy behind his back?_

Suddenly, a strong voice echoed from behind them. 'Ah. I see you're all already ready.'

Smoketalon spun around. Instantly, his hackles began to rise and the tips of his claws emerged from their sheaths. It was Emberheart, the deputy of ShadowClan. Hatred burned inside Smoketalon's body like fire.

A memory flashed before his eyes. Blood soaking the stone floor. The screams of his Clanmates cracking in his ears. This was the cat who'd done it.

This was the cat who'd killed Beechfoot.

Smoketalon glared at Emberheart with more venom than he'd ever felt before. A long, low growl echoed from his throat. Luckily, the ginger tom wasn't looking at him. His suspicious gaze was fixed firmly on Addertooth.

Quickly, the senior warrior shook himself. 'Of course,' Addertooth meowed, a little nervously. 'We were just...' he glanced at Nightwhisper, 'waiting for you.'

Emberheart raised his head distrustfully, but didn't press the two toms further. Instead, he padded forward until he was standing beside them. For a moment, his green eyes met Smoketalon's. An emotion the ThunderClan warrior couldn't read passed over his face, but it disappeared faster than it had come.

'This should be a short patrol,' the deputy began. 'We'll catch as much as we can in an hour. After that, we'll come straight back to camp. I'm sure you're all very tired.'

'Will we hunt in our new territory?' Whitepool asked eagerly.

Emberheart returned her gaze coolly. 'Not tonight,' he replied. 'But don't worry, you'll get your chance soon enough.' He turned to the rest of the patrol. 'Are we all understood?'

Addertooth and Nightwhisper mumbled back their agreement. Smoketalon didn't say a word.

Emberheart nodded. 'Good. Let's go.'

It seemed to Smoketalon that it was even darker out in the forest than it had been in the camp. The thick branches of the pine trees smothered the faint light of the moon, casting eerie shadows across the forest floor. Emberheart led them gracefully through the barren undergrowth. Despite the fact that they could barely see their paws in front of their faces, all the ShadowClan cats seemed completely at home amidst the darkness. Smoketalon, on the other paw, could hardly bear it. He wasn't used to being completely reliant on senses other than his sight. _How in StarClan's name do they know where they're going?_ he thought incredulously. _Surely they must get lost._

He peered through the gloom, just about seeing Emberheart's flank through some thornbushes. The mere thought of the ginger tom made Smoketalon want to shout and scream.

Every time he saw the deputy, all he could think about was his brother's sightless eyes, staring, motionless, back at him.

Finally, the patrol came to an abrupt halt. They'd arrived in a clearing. The trees parted when they reached it, making way for some flat grassy land. Smoketalon had a strange feeling he'd been there before, but he couldn't quite place it.

'Right,' Emberheart meowed, turning to face them. 'We'll hunt around this area. Addertooth, you can take Nightwhisper and Whitepool downwind. I'll hunt on my own.'

Addertooth nodded, and got up to leave, before stopping suddenly. 'Wait, who will take the slave?'

Smoketalon felt his body go tense. For the first time, he was painfully aware of Emberheart's piercing green eyes strained upon him.

'I'll take him,' Emberheart murmured.

Nightwhisper looked doubtful. 'Are you sure you can manage him on your own?'

Emberheart's voice became stern. 'Of course I can,' he snapped. 'Do you doubt me?'

'No, deputy,' Nightwhisper replied quickly, though it seemed to Smoketalon that that was exactly what he was doing.

Addertooth led the other two cats away, before disappearing into some shrubs on the other side of the clearing. Emberheart turned around, glancing at Smoketalon warily. The ThunderClan warrior's eyes were narrowed down to angry slits.

'Well,' Smoketalon said, an almost challenging edge to his tone. 'I suppose you're going to make me hunt while you watch from afar, right?'

Emberheart licked his chest. 'That is the general idea,' he replied, 'although personally, I'd rather not do that.'

'Why?'

'Because I wouldn't put it past you to make a run for it.'

Smoketalon's tail twitched. 'As though I'd be mouse-brained enough to do that!' he retorted. 'Unlike you, I'm not a ShadowClan cat.'

'Watch your tongue, slave,' Emberheart growled. 'I'm the deputy of this Clan, and don't you forget it. I could make your life misery if I wanted to.'

'What, more of a misery than it is already?' Smoketalon spat.

There was a moment of tense silence. Both toms sized each other up, their fangs bared, teeth tapered down to deadly points. Smoketalon hissed at Emberheart threateningly. _If he even_ tries _to attack me, I'll rip his throat out!_

Emberheart held his gaze for a moment longer, before finally looking away. 'Look, you really don't have to be difficult about this,' he meowed. 'Just start hunting, and then we'll go back to camp, okay?'

Smoketalon stayed where he was, paws rooted to the spot.

The deputy sighed in frustration. 'If it makes you feel better about it, I won't watch. Just come back in a few with something to eat.'

There it was again. That emotion. The same from before. It passed over Emberheart's expression for just a moment, before quickly evaporating again. And still, Smoketalon couldn't read it.

The ThunderClam tom shook himself. 'Whatever,' he snarled, turning his back on the deputy and padding deeper into the undergrowth.

 _Stupid ShadowClan foxheart,_ Smoketalon thought furiously as he walked. _I hate them. I hate them all! Especially Emberheart._ _One day, he'll pay for what he did to my brother._

The tom glanced over his shoulder, half expecting Emberheart to be tailing him, but to his surprise, the deputy hadn't followed. All the better. He wouldn't have to worry about another cat watching him.

The burning anger in Smoketalon's paws kept him walking for a while, and it remained present even as he slowed down. He was angry at everyone. At ShadowClan, at StarClan, and even partly at himself.

He stopped just beside a large, rotting yew tree. Its branches were withered and dying, and with leafbare fast approaching, it wouldn't be long until it died completely. Through the clumps of bark and twigs, Smoketalon could see a faint glimmer of light. The moon and stars were shining even brighter than before.

It made him feel sad.

 _Beechfoot..._ he thought. _Are you watching me? I hope so._

Smoketalon wasn't a sentimental cat. He rarely showed emotion, but this was different. This was Beechfoot, the only cat who'd ever understood him. _Don't worry Beechfoot,_ he promised. _One day, I'll avenge your death. One day, Emberheart will pay for what he did to you._

Suddenly, something cracked underfoot. Smoketalon spun around, his ears pricked. He could hardly see a thing, but he knew the scent of prey well enough to know when it was nearby. _Mouse!_ he thought excitedly.

Instinctively, Smoketalon dropped into a hunter's crouch, facing the direction from where he'd heard the noise. He breathed in deeply, inhaling the fresh scent of the mouse. Something told him the small, furry creature wasn't aware of his presence just yet. It was still sniffing around, searching for its next meal. Soon, the mouse would be Smoketalon's next catch.

He began to creep forward, although he felt blind without his sight. He had to feel the earth in front of him every time he took a step, just to ensure he wouldn't step on anything that would alert the mouse. But slowly and carefully, he picked his way forward until he was in the perfect position. And then, he pounced.

The mouse didn't stand a chance. It was in his mouth in seconds. The pathetic creature squeaked helplessly, but any protest it may have made was cut short when Smoketalon expertly inflicted the killing bite. He sat back in pleasure, proud that he'd managed to catch the mouse despite his lack of sight.

The mouse tasted tantalizing in Smoketalon's mouth. He wanted desperately to take a huge bite out of it straightaway; he hadn't eaten since the previous morning, but he knew he couldn't. Emberheart had told him to bring back something to eat, and much to Smoketalon's distaste, he knew he probably wouldn't be able to catch anything else in the darkness.

All the same, it was painful to know he had caught the mouse for a Clan he didn't even belong to.

The rest of the patrol was waiting for him when he returned to the clearing. Addertooth, Nightwhisper, and Whitepool had pulled together a respectful haul, whereas Emberheart had managed to catch a squirrel. The deputy looked relieved that Smoketalon hadn't ran off after he'd let him hunt alone. _Next time, you might not be so lucky,_ Smoketalon thought.

Addertooth sniffed at his mouse disdainfully. 'That's all you managed to catch?' he sneered. 'Pathetic.'

Smoketalon clenched his paws together, but just managed to catch his tongue in time. Emberheart, for a ShadowClan cat, was soft. If he'd spoken back to Addertooth, the tom would definitely have made sure the news got across to Ravenstar.

And that was something he definitely didn't want to happen.

'Good work, everyone,' Emberheart praised. 'You all hunted well.'

Whitepool brightened up considerably at her deputy's praise, but Smoketalon noticed how Nightwhisper and Addertooth barely moved. He recalled how the two warriors had been talking about Emberheart behind his back earlier. _Do they have some sort of problem with Emberheart?_

As they padded back to camp, it occurred to Smoketalon that maybe some cats in ShadowClan disliked Emberheart just as much as he did.

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_

 **A/N: Just a heads up that I will be adding chapters to this story as frequently as I can, though updates may be relatively spotty as I've been traveling around a bit these last few weeks, and will also be starting my spring semester of school by the end of the month. Hope you all stick around! -CCM**


	5. Chapter 4: Sageclaw

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER 4

A cool breeze rushed through the camp, making Sageclaw's pelt stand on end. It was warmer and brighter than the previous day, and the wind was weaker as well. Nevertheless, it was by no means pleasant. Perhaps if Sageclaw was sat underneath the trees of a forest, he would've been more comfortable, but he wasn't. RiverClan's territory, seemingly devoid of any shrubs or undergrowth, made Sageclaw feel bare and exposed.

He was seated just outside the slaves' den, a small mouse beneath his paws. He licked his chops as his belly growled, demanding to be fed. The slaves were forbidden to eat with the RiverClan warriors by the fresh-kill pile. Instead, their food was delivered to their den after they'd finished hunting for the day. It was sunhigh now – he and Foxflame had caught all their prey early this time.

Slowly, Sageclaw sank his teeth into the piece of fresh-kill, savoring the rich flavors that flooded into his mouth. He then gave Foxflame a sideways glance. She hadn't started eating yet, but was eyeing her squirrel hungrily. He opened his mouth, feeling the need to say something.

'You don't need to start up a conversation every time we're alone, you know,' Foxflame interrupted wryly before he could even speak up.

Sageclaw's eyes narrowed. 'Well, it would be nice to actually talk to someone,' he retorted. 'It's not as though I can talk to the RiverClan warriors.'

'Yeah, well, I don't want to talk to you.'

Sageclaw released a quiet hiss, before finishing off the last few morsels of his mouse. The sight of him eating seemed to be too tempting for Foxflame to resist, for she quickly began to eat her squirrel.

An awkward silence passed between them, though it seemed to Sageclaw that the awkwardness was mostly felt by him. _Why does she have to be so infuriating?_ he thought frustratedly. _It wouldn't hurt to be friendly once in a while._

 _Of all the cats I could've ended up with in this mess, it just had to be her, didn't it, StarClan?_

He stole a quick look at the she-cat, expecting the usual grumpy expression to be on her face. A flicker of surprise washed over him when he saw her staring off absently into the distance. There was an uncharacteristic sadness in her eyes. Her ears were twitching and her tail was swishing along the ground.

'Foxflame?' Sageclaw mewed uncertainly. 'Are you alright?'

At the sound of his voice, the melancholy look on her face evaporated. 'I'm _fine_ ,' she snapped, twisting her head around to face him.

He snorted disbelievingly. 'Then why do you look so upset?'

'I'm _not_ upset!' she growled, turning her back on him. Sageclaw watched her determinedly, waiting for her to speak up again.

She sighed. 'It's just something that Eelscratch said on our last patrol.'

Suddenly, Sageclaw remembered what had happened in the slaves' den the previous sunset. After he had returned, he'd suspected Foxflame had been holding something back from him, but she hadn't revealed what it was. Could this be it?

 _Trust that little snakeheart Eelscratch to say something out of line!_ he thought angrily.

'Foxflame,' Sageclaw mewed quietly. He tried to hide the sympathy in his tone, but it was obvious that he was concerned. 'What did he say?'

The she-cat didn't answer, clearly trying to avoid the question.

'Foxflame,' he persisted, moving a little closer to her. 'If there's something wrong, it really helps to tell someone about it–'

'Don't talk to me like I'm a kit, Sageclaw!' Foxflame hissed. Her eyes were alight with annoyance. 'I can take care of myself.'

Sageclaw was just about to tell her exactly what he thought about her, when all of a sudden, he heard a loud voice echo across the RiverClan camp.

'Seriously Shellstorm, I don't need your help when I'm making my nest.'

He twisted his head, surprised, to spot a she-cat standing outside the warriors' den. Beside her was the RiverClan deputy, Shellstorm. Sageclaw remembered the huge warrior's cold, authoritative arrogance from when he had called out the patrols. His eyes narrowed with undisguised distaste. Sageclaw assumed that the deputy would give the brave she-cat a sharp reminder who was really in charge, but a wave of shock passed through him when he saw the soft affection in Shellstorm's gaze. Quickly, Sageclaw recognized the she-cat. Reedshade, he realized.

From this distance, Sageclaw couldn't make out the finer details of her appearance, but he didn't need to be close up to tell that she was attractive. Not in a vain sort of way, though. There was something vaguely appealing in the shine of her glossy pelt, and her soft green eyes. Sageclaw hadn't really talked to her since he'd arrived; she hadn't been appointed as his guard yet, and she always seemed to be surrounded by a patrol or a group of friends. Besides, there was no need for a warrior to talk to a lowly ThunderClan slave, right?

Not only that, there was the minor fact that she was Shellstorm's mate.

Sageclaw angled his ears forward with interest, curious to see what happened next. Foxflame displayed no such curiosity, however, and instead looked away pointedly.

'Of course you don't,' Shellstorm replied, his voice unusually smooth. 'It's just that you're my mate, and I haven't spoken to you yet today.'

Reedshade didn't look at all impressed. 'And so you feel the need to follow me around everywhere?' she shot back. 'Even when I'm simply making my nest?'

'Come now, darling,' Shellstorm purred, moving closer to the she-cat. He draped his tail over her shoulder, before leaning in closely and no doubt whispering the usual persuasive soppiness into her ear. The mere sight made Sageclaw feel sick to the stomach. _What a pair of deluded mousebrains,_ he thought.

When Shellstorm finally withdrew, Reedshade looked a little less convinced, but clearly still annoyed. Sageclaw didn't blame her. It must be incredibly patronizing to be spoken to in that way; he of all cats would know. 'Well, no matter what you think, I still have to make my nest,' she muttered. 'I'll just grab some moss from the other side of camp, and then we can eat together if you want.'

'There's no need for you to collect it yourself!' Shellstorm exclaimed. 'Have you forgotten the latest additions to our Clan?' The deputy turned his head, and his eyes met those of Sageclaw. 'Slave. Go fetch my mate some moss.'

The ThunderClan tom stiffened instantly. The fur along his back bristled when Shellstorm used the word "slave".

There was a short moment of silence. Sageclaw glanced sideways at Foxflame. She was smirking at him triumphantly.

'Well?' Shellstorm continued coldly. 'Don't make me repeat myself.'

Sageclaw got to his paws reluctantly. 'Yes sir,' he rasped, through gritted teeth.

Slowly, he turned around and padded toward the area where the moss grew. Unlike in ThunderClan, where you had to leave camp to collect moss, there was part of RiverClan's camp, full of boulders, where moss grew in abundance. He bent over and scraped a large amount of moss off the rocks, before padding over to where the deputy and his mate were standing.

When he reached them, Sageclaw ducked his head respectfully, although with little enthusiasm. Shellstorm reached forward and snatched the moss from his grasp without a glimmer of gratitude. The ThunderClan tom's temper flared, but he didn't dare say a word.

'You see, darling?' Shellstorm mewed, in a sickly sweet tone. 'We have slaves now. Jobs like making your nest are frivolous and unnecessary.'

Sageclaw glanced at Reedshade, waiting to see what her reaction would be. She didn't seem very satisfied. There was a clear uncertainty in the pools of her emerald eyes. She tilted her head slightly, and her eyes met Sageclaw's. Green looked into green. There was an emotion Sageclaw couldn't read in the depths of her expression. A sort of regret, or perhaps it was doubt?

Thankfully, Shellstorm didn't notice the exchange. Instead, he dropped the moss at his mate's paws, before facing Sageclaw. Whatever affection he might've had when looking at Reedshade disappeared, giving way to open hatred.

'It sure is good that we invaded ThunderClan,' Shellstorm growled contemptuously. 'Not only do we get more prey and territory, but we don't get their pathetic interference with our personal affairs anymore.'

He shifted his weight onto his right side, displaying the full extent of his muscle to the slave. Despite himself, Sageclaw felt fear of the deputy shake his bones.

'I remember the night we attacked,' he continued. The tom unsheathed his claws and began to lick them in the pale light, the smirk on his face growing wider every moment. 'All of you cowered like mice. Hiding from us! ThunderClan always were cowardly foxhearts, quivering in a corner at the first _sight_ of danger. You didn't even try and defend yourself!'

Sageclaw refused to meet Shellstorm's eyes. He felt that if he did, his rage would overcome him. Instead, he fixed his gaze upon the floor, trying desperately to control himself.

'We rounded you up first, before separating the important cats from the weak and helpless. Those brave enough to fight were killed.' He laughed, reveling in the memory. 'Your medicine cat. What was her name? Willowflight, I think it was. She begged us for mercy before we killed her.'

Sageclaw remembered that night. The rain had poured like there was no tomorrow. And for ThunderClan, there hadn't been. Sometimes, the screams of his Clanmates still rang in his head at night. Sageclaw recalled trying to force his way through the ShadowClan warriors that had surrounded him, but they'd pushed him back with little effort. He had been lucky. Many of the cats who'd fought beside him had been killed in the struggle, but somehow, he'd survived.

In hindsight, he almost regretted it.

Shellstorm nudged the ThunderClan tom; the slightest of contact almost sent him sprawling. 'Don't _you_ think it's good that ThunderClan's been destroyed?' he asked sarcastically.

Sageclaw didn't answer.

Shellstorm hadn't finished yet, though. 'I asked you a question, slave,' he snarled. 'Don't you think it's good that ThunderClan's been destroyed?'

Before the deputy could go any further, however, Reedshade stepped forward, her eyes full of the same emotion from before. 'Stop it, Shellstorm,' she meowed, a hint of urgency in her voice.

Sageclaw breathed in sharply, surprised by the she-cat's sudden outburst. _Is she standing up for me?_ he wondered, mystified.

Shellstorm didn't look at all happy. 'Why?' he mewed back, turning to face the she-cat. 'He's a slave. A low life.'

'But it's humiliating,' Reedshade replied stubbornly. 'Besides, no matter if he's a slave, he's still a cat–'

'Yes,' Shellstorm interrupted. For the first time in the conversation, Sageclaw noticed, the deputy wasn't looking upon his mate with the usual air of affection. 'A _ThunderClan_ cat. He doesn't deserve our respect.'

'Please, Shellstorm!' the she-cat pleaded. Her tail kinked low over her back, almost submissively. 'Don't treat him so harshly, at least not this time. For me.'

Shellstorm went quiet. In the silence that followed, the only sound that Sageclaw could hear was his own heart, pounding within his chest.

'Fine,' Shellstorm grunted. This was quickly followed by a short sigh of relief from his mate. 'But don't expect me to show such sentiment toward a slave every time I talk to one, Reedshade,' he warned coldly. 'Just this once…'

The smallest hint of a smile appeared around the edges of his lips. 'For you, my darling.'

The two cats' muzzles met, their purrs joining together in a soft symphony of pleasure. Sageclaw looked away, feeling almost ashamed that he'd needed Reedshade to come to his rescue. _I should be able to defend myself,_ he thought, annoyed.

 _But when it came to it, I was completely helpless. Just like Shellstorm said my Clanmates were._

After the two lovebirds had finished, Shellstorm padded away, leaving Reedshade to organize her nest privately. But not before his eyes had met those of Sageclaw for one last time. His gaze lingered on the slave, and just before he left, he whispered under his breath, so that he could clearly make out, 'You got off lucky this time, slave. If it hadn't been for my mate, you can be certain I would've gone further.'

Sageclaw felt a shiver of fear and apprehension pass through him. When the deputy had moved out of earshot, he added quietly, 'I don't doubt it.'

Slowly, Sageclaw got back up to his paws, before licking at his chest fur self-consciously. Reedshade was picking up the moss he'd collected for her, but he was painfully aware that the she-cat was staring intently at him. The tom wanted to cough, but he stopped himself to save the embarrassment.

He was just about to pad back to the slaves' den when he heard Reedshade speak up once more. 'Wait!' she ordered.

Sageclaw stopped in his tracks. He closed his eyes regretfully. _Can't she just leave me alone?_ he thought, exasperated. _She's the last cat in the world that I want to speak to at the moment._

But despite himself, Sageclaw couldn't help but feel a familiar twinge of his StarClan-forsaken curiosity. Sageclaw was certain it would be the death of him someday, but he wanted to know why the she-cat had come so valiantly to his rescue, against the better word of her mate. And besides, if he disobeyed her, he suspected he'd receive a much worse punishment that just facing Reedshade again.

So, hesitantly, Sageclaw turned around again. 'Yes?' he muttered.

Reedshade opened her mouth to speak, but then immediately closed it again. She shuffled her paws awkwardly, searching for the right thing to say.

Eventually, she spoke. 'Thank you.'

Sageclaw's eyes narrowed. 'For what?'

'For collecting the moss.'

'Oh!' Sageclaw meowed, taken back. He hadn't expected that. 'Well, you know…' he trailed off. 'I didn't really have much of a choice.'

Reedshade lot out a short, sad chuckle. 'No,' she mewed quietly. 'I guess you didn't.'

Only silence followed her. Neither cat wanted to speak; they didn't even want to make eye contact. Sageclaw looked away, his gaze finally coming to rest on the sky above him. For the first time in sunrises, the tom saw flecks of blue in the sky's usual greyish surface. The clouds were dark, almost black, just like they'd been yesterday. _It won't be long before it starts snowing,_ Sageclaw thought privately.

Finally, the tom decided to make the first action. 'Well, if that's all,' he meowed, 'I'll be going now.'

For a moment, Reedshade's eyes widened, as if she were reluctant for him to do even that, but she made no action to stop him. Instead, she simply nodded, allowing him to leave.

Relieved, Sageclaw began to pad back to the slaves' den, but not before he heard Reedshade's soft voice echo in his ears one last time. 'Wait!' she called. 'What's your name?'

Sageclaw paused. His tail twitched. 'What makes you think I'd want you to know that?'

That was the last thing either of them said before Sageclaw ducked back into the slaves' den.

* * *

 _That night, Sageclaw found himself dreaming once more._

 _He was back on the starry plain, the one that seemed to carry on to the edges of StarClan and beyond. He was padding softly; the grass, although shrouded by strange whirling mist, was crunching softly under his paws. He was following the voice he had heard in his last dream. The one that sounded like all the most beautiful things in the world had met in a long, soothing crescendo._

 _'Where are we going?' Sageclaw asked in wonder. He didn't know where the voice was, or even_ what _it was, only that he could feel its presence beside him, like a divine entity._

 _'We are searching for the one thing you told me you wanted more than anything,' the voice replied._

 _'Freedom?'_

 _'Yes,' the voice replied again. 'Freedom indeed.'_

 _Sageclaw almost stopped short. Confusion washed over him like the ripples of a stream. 'But how can we find freedom?' he asked._

 _'The same way that we'd find anything else,' the voice echoed calmly. 'We look for it.'_

 _This time, Sageclaw really did stop. 'But freedom isn't just something you can find,' he objected._

 _'And why do you think that?'_

 _'Because–' Sageclaw began confidently, but after a moment's thought, he frowned. Why_ did _he think that?_

 _Slowly, the ThunderClan tom began again. 'Because freedom isn't like a place, which you can find at will,' he murmured. 'Freedom is... a feeling, I suppose.'_

 _A short chuckle made Sageclaw shuffle his paws in embarrassment. 'Well, if freedom is what you believe it to be, that surely you_ can _find it. For instance, many cats claim that they are looking for love, and yet that is not a place. Neither is freedom.'_

 _Sageclaw remained silent for a moment, before opening his mouth to speak again. 'Where are you taking me?' he asked, glancing around at the never-ending plain. 'How can we find freedom here, amongst the stars?'_

 _The voice didn't reply for a short while, making Sageclaw think that it had abandoned him; but soon enough, it did speak. 'Remember this, Sageclaw,' it said. 'No matter how trapped you may seem, or how lost you might feel, in a sense, you are already free...'_

* * *

 ** _[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]_**


	6. Chapter 5: Eaglefang

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER 5

'More nightmares?' Eaglefang murmured gravely.

He and Palewhisper were seated side by side, their paws searching through the dirty, matted pelts of the WindClan elders. Several sunrises had passed since the day he and Ryesong had encountered the RiverClan patrol, and ever since, the days grew darker and the jobs had gotten worse. Now that they were approaching the coldest part of leafbare, Gorsestar decided that he had to concentrate his apprentices' efforts on hunting and fighting practice, leaving the chores around camp for the two slaves to do.

Eaglefang's eyelids drooped with exhaustio; of all the cats in WindClan, he was working the hardest. With Palewhisper's condition, he knew he couldn't put her through too much hard work, so he'd taken most of the jobs upon himself. Although some things couldn't just have been completed by Eaglefang alone, for instance, sorting out the elders' ticks.

The cat Eaglefang was currently grooming was an old tom called Branchfur. And he wasn't the worst of the two elders. Mostly Branchfur just ignored the ThunderClan slaves, but Chivedash, the she-cat Palewhisper had been assigned to, was one the crankiest, rudest cats in all of WindClan. Whenever Eaglefang so much as glanced at her, she'd spit and snarl at him with a barrage of insults. Thankfully for the two of them, both elders had very poor hearing, which was why he felt safe to ask Palewhisper about her nightmares now.

Eaglefang had hoped that her dreams would get better over time, but unfortunately, they'd done anything but. In fact, they seemed to have gotten worse. The she-cat still woke up in the middle of the night, screaming her mother's name. Consequently, Eaglefang's own sleeping habits were being upset, for it was always he who had to comfort Palewhisper after another horror-filled night. After all, who else was there for her?

But a moment after he asked the question, he quickly regretted it. Palewhisper's eyes filled with sadness, making Eaglefang wince.

'Still not good,' she replied quietly, without looking up. There was a haunted look on her face.

'The same every time?'

'Yes.'

Eaglefang nodded slowly. Not even the dream itself had changed. The she-cat told him of the same one every time. She would see what was once the ThunderClan camp, and all of her dead Clanmates. They would be drenched in blood. She would try to escape, but they'd catch her every time. And when she finally woke up, it was no relief. To either of them.

He parted Branchfur's pelt, searching for more ticks to remove. A particularly large one was crawling over the elder's shoulder. Eaglefang dabbed some of the mouse bile on the tick, before cracking it with his tooth. It left a sour taste on his tongue.

'Don't worry,' he murmured reassuringly. 'They'll leave eventually.'

'You said that yesterday,' Palewhisper sniffed. 'And the day before.'

'I know,' Eaglefang sighed, 'but you can't get down about it. Who knows? Maybe tonight they really will go away.'

He glanced toward her, just as she was getting rid of another tick. 'Besides,' he meowed. 'I bet you'd rather be having those nightmares than sorting out the elders!'

A rare smile passed over Palewhisper's face, and she opened her mouth to laugh, but was cut short by a loud, impatient huff.

'What are you two twittering on about?' Chivedash, the WindClan elder, snapped. She twisted her head toward them, eyes full of contempt. 'Shut up and finish my ticks.'

Eaglefang hissed quietly under his breath, but didn't dare retort. Instead, he went right back to the grooming. The two ThunderClan cats didn't speak again until they'd finished.

Once he was done, Eaglefang got to his paws, making sure not to get any of the mouse bile near his mouth. The last time he'd made that mistake, he'd had to taste the mouse bile in his mouth for days. 'We're finished,' he stated, wiping his paws on the ground, before turning around and padding toward the entrance, Palewhisper at his side.

He heard the two elders stretch out behind him. 'Took you awhile, didn't it?' Chivedash jeered. 'An apprentice could've done that job quicker than you did!'

Eaglefang ignored the jibe, although he noticed a strange expression pass over Palewhisper's face at the cranky elder's words. He had the feeling she was thinking about ThunderClan, the one thing Eaglefang definitely _didn't_ want to talk about.

Once they'd left the den, he snorted in disgust. 'I hate elders,' he told her. 'Especially WindClan ones. They think that just because they're older than you, they can boss you around–'

He trailed off when Palewhisper didn't answer. She still had that strange, absent look in her eyes.

Eaglefang felt his heart swell with sympathy for her. Slowly, he came to a stop, before turning to face her, his tail twitching with worry. 'Palewhisper, he mewd quietly. 'What's wrong? Do you want to talk to me about something?'

She stared at the floor for a moment, before finally meeting Eaglefang's gaze. Deep amber met pale blue. The tom searched for something, anything, that would give him a hint as to what she was thinking about, but all he found was the strongest, most sincere emotion in her eyes. She looked lost, depressed, and almost shy. It made him feel a little… uncomfortable.

There was only silence for a while, until Palewhisper looked away, breaking eye contact. She opened her mouth to speak, before closing it again, clearly thinking better of it.

Eaglefang found that there were a hundred things he wanted to say to her, but he couldn't find the words to say to them. Eventually, he too looked away. 'Whatever,' he meowed. 'Let's go back to our den.'

This time, Eaglefang let Palewhisper walk ahead of him. He didn't want to feel like he had to make conversation with her. It was awkward enough as it was.

His eyes lingered on Palewhisper's pelt. She walked in a strangely undignified way, with her paws trembling a little. The tom knew there was so much he'd left unsaid, but for some reason, there was something holding him back. He shook his head, trying to keep his mind off it.

The camp was, unsurprisingly, empty. Gorsestar and Sandpelt were pushing everyone in WindClan harder by the day, preparing them for when the snow came. Eaglefang had even noticed some of the kits putting a shift in. Skystar, although brisk, had never worked cats as hard as this when he was in ThunderClan. He assumed that leafbare was harder out on the moor than it was living in the warm, comforting undergrowth of the forest.

Just as the thought crossed his mind, the entrance to the camp parted to reveal one of the returning hunting patrols, led by the deputy herself. He glanced at her paws, half expecting them to be empty, but to his surprise they'd caught a fair amount. Eaglefang felt his stomach rumble unintentionally; he hadn't eaten since the night before.

But as they passed, he noticed they didn't look quite as satisfied as they should've been. Sandpelt had an annoyed look on her face, and her patrol was clearly disgruntled. Eaglefang pricked up his ears as they headed toward the fresh-kill pile to deposit their prey.

'Oh, come on guys!' one of them was murmuring. 'We still brought back a lot.'

'Yeah,' another replied, 'but we would've brought back more if it hadn't been for those _fish-brains_.'

For a moment, Eaglefang thought that they had been raided by a RiverClan patrol, but quickly he remembered what he'd heard a few sunrises ago. Gorsestar had mentioned that since RiverClan's territory was on the complete opposite side of the lake, both WindClan and ShadowClan would share some of what they caught every day in their newly acquired territory with RiverClan. The hunting patrol must've been forced to give away a large portion of their prey in order to get them so frustrated.

Sandpelt turned to face the cat who'd spoken. 'Stop complaining,' she snapped. 'RiverClan took part in the battle against ThunderClan as well. They _deserved_ the prey we gave them.'

'Sure, Sandpelt,' he grumbled in reply, 'but they took nearly half of it! We caught that prey on our territory. It was rightfully ours!'

Instantly, Eaglefang felt the familiar heat rise to his cheeks. His tail curled and twisted in anger. _Rightfully yours?_ he thought furiously. _You don't deserve that prey any more than RiverClan does!_

'Eaglefang?'

Palewhisper's quiet, almost nervous, voice echoed from behind. He turned to face her as she peered out of the slaves' den toward him. 'Are you coming?' she asked hesitantly.

Eaglefang glanced back toward the fresh-kill pile, where the patrol was settling down to eat. He watched as Sandpelt disappeared into the leader's den, most likely to report the events of the patrol to Gorsestar in private. Finally, he nodded before following Palewhisper in.

The now recognizable scents of the slave den hit his nostrils fiercely as he padded over to his nest and sat down. It was barely sunhigh, but Eaglefang already felt tired. It seemed to him that he always felt tired. Slowly, the tom rasped his tongue over his pelt, settling down his ruffled fur. The soft motion of his tongue soothed the anger burning like a fire inside him, but he still felt restless. Anyone would feel restless if you had to spend half your life cooped up in a den that was hardly enough to shelter one cat.

Palewhisper settled down beside him, her watchful blue eyes strained upon him. He didn't acknowledge her glance, instead choosing to carry on washing. After a few moments, she began to follow suit. It occurred to him that he hadn't seen Palewhisper wash in a long, long time.

The silence that followed, Eaglefang found, was even more comforting than the rhythmic laps of his tongue. It was rare that he got to experience something as simple and peaceful as silence, where he could think without intruding eyes surveying his every move. The quiet lulled him. _I think,_ Eaglefang realised, _that I deserve a rest more than anyone else around the lake._

The tomcat crouched down, resting his stomach against the warm feathers of his nest and tucking his paws underneath him. Just before he closed his eyes, however, he raised his head.

'I'm gonna take a rest, if that's okay with you?' he meowed. 'Wake me up if anyone comes.'

Palewhisper's ears twitched, telling him that she'd heard, but she didn't say anything more than that. With a yawn, Eaglefang turned back to his nest, where he rested his head against his flank and fell asleep almost instantly.

* * *

When he awoke, he was alone in the slaves' den. It was significantly darker outside, but a few beams of light were still visible from outside the den. Palewhisper had disappeared. A slight twinge of worry tugged at his side, but he shoved it away without a second thought. _She's probably just gone to do a job._

He stretched and sat up in his nest. The nap had cleared his mind somewhat; no longer did he feel so uptight and fatigued. Reluctantly, he stood up, before padding over to the entrance and poking his head out into the camp.

The clearing was much more full now. Most of the cats out on patrol had returned, and were panting heavily around the corners of the fresh-kill pile. Gorsestar had emerged from his den, with Sandpelt and a few other senior warriors at his side. They were deep in discussion, most likely talking about what had happened on the hunting patrol earlier. Many of their faces were grave. Not good.

Eaglefang pulled his gaze away from them and looked toward the other side of the camp, searching for a pale white pelt amongst the crowd, but he couldn't spot his fellow ThunderClan slave.

Suddenly, he saw something out of the corner of his eye. Gorsestar was staring at him, his expression unreadable. He looked away as soon as the tom noticed, but Eaglefang had seen him either way. The leader nodded at one of his senior warriors, Harestoop, who turned around and began to cross the camp toward him.

Eaglefang straightened up as soon as he approached. Senior warriors were cats that he had to show the utmost respect to, almost equal to the kind of respect he showed Sandpelt. They were just as important in the Clan, and almost as influential.

'You,' Harestoop grunted, as he came to a stop beside him. 'Just a briefing for the sunrise patrol tomorrow. Cloudstreak will be taking you out on a patrol to the RiverClan border, just to check–' Suddenly, he stopped, as though he had said too much.

 _I guess a senior warrior shouldn't be telling a slave anything about his Clan's private affairs,_ Eaglefang thought.

He dipped his head in return. There was no need to say anything to him, and Harestoop didn't expect him to. The senior warrior was just about to pad back to Gorsestar when suddenly he stopped, as if he'd forgotten something.

'One other thing,' he mewed. 'Tell the she-cat that she'll also be required on patrols tomorrow. We need to catch all the prey we can get for leafbare.'

And with that, Harestoop left, leaving Eaglefang alone outside the slaves' den. It appeared that the Clan was struggling more than he thought to find prey, if they were asking him and Palewhisper to come out on patrol as well. He doubted they would be of much use though, especially Palewhisper. They were both very out of practice in hunting.

 _Speaking of Palewhisper, I should probably go and find her,_ he thought absently.

Without thinking too much about it, Eaglefang began to look for her. He hadn't seen her around the fresh kill pile when he'd emerged from the slaves' den, so he assumed that she was doing another chore in one of the dens. But to his surprise, and slight alarm, she wasn't in any of them. Neither was she with Ryesong, nor was she running any errands for the warriors. The slightest frown was beginning to form on his face. Where had she gone?

Suddenly, a snippet of a few of the WindClan warriors' conversation caught his attention. They were mentioning something about "one of the slaves". Making sure not to draw too much scrutiny too himself, he slowly padded over until he was close enough to eavesdrop without notice. He recognized the two of them. One was Slatefrost, the cat who'd been guarding the entrance to the camp when he'd gone to collect herbs with Ryesong, and the other was Morningflight, a mottled olive-colored she-cat.

'-yeah, well, I don't really see the point of having these slaves if they're never there when you need them to do something.' Morningflight was sniffing. 'I couldn't find the she-cat slave when I was looking for her earlier.'

Slatefrost nodded his agreement. 'I know, right? They're disrespectful, too. A few sunrises ago, one of them snapped at me. I would've taught him lesson if it wasn't for Ryesong.'

Morningflight glanced around the camp, almost suspiciously. 'Speaking of which, where is that she-cat?' she mewed. 'I still haven't seen her since I went looking for her.'

The tom shrugged. 'I saw her leave camp a little while ago,' he replied. 'I thought she was going out to collect something.'

Eaglefang's ears pricked up. _Palewhisper left camp?_ he thought, surprised. _But I told her to wake me up if someone came to her about a job!_ It seemed strange to him that she would break a promise she'd made to him for seemingly no reason. She'd never done something like that before, unless…

Unless she didn't want him to know she'd left camp.

All of a sudden, a cold feeling of dread washed over him. The idea of Palewhisper out on the moor by herself in leafbare made him anxious, especially considering the kind of state she was in. What if she tried to do something stupid? What if she got attacked by something? What if she met a patrol from another Clan?

He glanced anxiously toward the entrance to the camp, feeling a bit panicked. Palewhisper was his responsibility. She was as helpless as a kit without him, and yet he'd turned a complete blind eye to her while he was sleeping. _Careless, Eaglefang!_ he scolded himself. _If something happens to her, it will be all your fault. You can't have something like that hanging over your head!_

Slowly, he began to pad away from Slatefrost and Morningflight, trying to hide the rush of emotions flowing through his body. His heart was racing ferociously. _I have to go and find her before she gets herself killed!_

The walk to the entrance of the camp seemed to take an eternity. He glanced constantly over his shoulder, making sure no one was watching him while he padded. How could he get out of camp without anyone noticing or suspecting something was wrong? What if someone caught him while he did so? They'd probably think he was trying to escape.

One thing was for certain. He couldn't just walk out the camp entrance.

Thinking quickly, he glanced over to the only other exit in the camp. The dirtplace. As an apprentice in ThunderClan he had used it as a means of sneaking out of camp hundreds of times, and it seemed it would be coming in handy once more.

Eaglefang slipped into the tunnel, ignoring the stench of other cats' dirt. He wrinkled his nose in disgust, making sure not to place his paws anywhere dirty, before ducking through the other side and out onto the moor.

The freezing cold air took him by surprise. The wind rushed over the hills in all directions, making the fur along his back stand on end. When he breathed, he could see it pass right in front of his face. The tom shivered, before lowering his nose to the ground and sniffing the air, searching for Palewhisper's scent amongst those of the returning patrols. It would fade quickly due to the wind, so he had to find it as soon as possible.

After a while of searching, his eyes widened when he finally found what he was looking for. Palewhisper's scent trail was almost gone. He knew he had to find her soon before it disappeared completely. Without even hesitating, he began to follow the scent down the face of the hills. At first, it seemed to be taking him toward the lakeshore, until suddenly, Palewhisper abruptly changed direction, padding away toward what had once been ThunderClan's territory. The thought of her alone in the forest that haunted her nightmares only made him move more urgently.

Suddenly, a thin, white figure entered his vision, right on the path that Palewhisper's scent was leading him down. He peered across the landscape; with the wind roaring furiously in his ears, it made it difficult to concentrate, but he could make out the unmistakable shape of a cat. Was it Palewhisper?

Only one way to find out…

'Palewhisper!' he shouted, trying to make his voice heard over the noise of the wind. He padded toward the figure a little nervously. 'Is that you?'

The white figure stopped moving, and turned around to face him. He could see that her eyes were blue even from the distance he was at. 'Eaglefang?' a soft, shaky voice replied.

It was Palewhisper! Eaglefang felt relief fill him from the tip of his tail to the pads of his paws. 'Don't worry, Palewhisper!' he called out. 'I'm coming.'

The figure stopped moving as he approached, and as he got closer, he began to make out Palewhisper's familiar features. The slightly ruffled pelt, the thinness of her frame. It was unmistakably her. Eaglefang wanted to tell her how worried he'd been about her, but he also wanted to scream at her for being so foolish. _How could she just run off like that?_ he thought.

But to his surprise, the she-cat greeted him warmly when he reached her. 'Eaglefang!' she mewed, in a voice that could nearly be described as cheerful. 'It's good of you to join me. Such a nice day, isn't it?'

Eaglefang stared at her for moment or two. 'What?' he meowed incredulously.

'Yes, it's a very nice day,' she murmured, appearing to answer herself. The same absent look from earlier was on her face again. 'A nice day for a walk…'

Eaglefang shook his head in disbelief. _What is she talking about? A nice day for a walk?_ he thought, a little angrily. _Doesn't she realize how much danger she put herself in?_

'Palewhisper,' he began, taking a step closer to her. 'I've been looking all over for you. Why did you leave the camp? You could've got hurt, or worse, killed!'

But the she-cat didn't seem to register what he'd said. 'I was just enjoying the weather, Eaglefang,' she murmured, staring up at the sky like it was the middle of Greenleaf. 'Aren't you too?'

Now if he wasn't angry enough at her before, he definitely was now. 'Enjoying the weather?' he hissed. 'No I'm not enjoying the weather, you mouse brain. Can't you hear what I'm saying? Can't you hear what _you're_ saying _?'_

This time, Palewhisper didn't answer. She just kept staring up at the sky like she was in a completely different place. It only made Eaglefang more angry.

He stepped closer to her, his eyes alight. 'Palewhisper?'

She remained silent.

'Palewhisper, look at me.'

Still she said nothing.

' _Look at me_ for StarClan's sake, Palewhisper!'

Still nothing –

'LOOK AT ME!'

Finally, the she-cat turned and met his furious gaze. She looked surprised. 'Eaglefang?' she mewed, as though she were seeing him for the first time.

The thought that she had been pretending not to notice him just infuriated Eaglefang even more. The tom reached forward, grabbed her by her shoulders and shook her several times. 'What's wrong with you, Palewhisper?' he snarled. 'Snap out of it!'

Suddenly, everything went quiet. The only noise Eaglefang could hear was the roaring of the wind in his ears and the sound of his own breath, fast, angry and shallow. Palewhisper's eyes were wide in shock, and perhaps a hint of fear. He could feel her shaking against his paws.

He stared at her for a moment longer, before shaking his head. The sight of the poor, innocent she-cat looking so terrified toward _him_ calmed his anger. He loosened his grip, before lowering his voice to a mere whisper. 'I was worried about you, Palewhisper.'

The she-cat didn't say anything. Her bottom lip was trembling, like she'd just woken up from another one of her nightmares. Perhaps, in her mind, she had. Her whiskers were as still as stone. Her tail had frozen still.

She flinched a little, before looking up into his emotion filled eyes. It seemed for Palewhisper that it was too much. She didn't cry, but she looked so upset that it made Eaglefang's heart _want_ to cry. He couldn't help but feel guilty that he had snapped at her. The last thing she needed was another cat treating her badly while she was suffering.

The tom touched his muzzle lightly against her forehead, but his ministrations did nothing to ease her sadness. She continued to whimper under her breath, until finally, she spoke again.

'Eaglefang…' she sniffled pitifully. 'Why did it have to be us?'

A flicker of confusion passed over him. 'What do you mean?' he asked.

'I mean,' Palewhisper replied, 'why did it have to be us who survived?'

He stiffened a little as she spoke. He knew exactly what she talking about. It was something that he'd wondered himself many times in his sleep.

'We were just lucky,' he muttered. 'I guess it could've been any of us when they attacked. It just so happened that we got picked out from the crowd when the moment came.'

The she-cat snorted. 'More like unlucky. I'd rather be dead than live the rest of my life as a slave.'

To that, Eaglefang had no reply.

The two of them stayed like that for a stretch, alone on the hills. Nothing was spoken between them; there was nothing more to say. Both of them were lost in their own thoughts. Eaglefang looked over the small she-cat at his paws. She was so naive, so broken. And she was right. They had been unlucky to survive, especially her. To see her own mother… slaughtered like she had been, right before their eyes… he didn't want to think about it.

The tom glanced over his shoulder back in the direction of the WindClan camp. Both of them should definitely be getting back. If WindClan realized both of their slaves were absent from camp without being on a job, they'd start suspecting an escape, which wouldn't be good for either of them.

He turned back to Palewhisper. 'Come on,' he mewed slowly. 'We need to go back.'

The she-cat didn't protest. Eaglefang nodded thankfully, before leading her back the way they'd come, following the scent trail he'd left. The tom made sure to keep his pace relatively slow so that she could keep up, although in his mind he was desperate to go faster.

Palewhisper sighed, before nudging him lightly. 'Eaglefang?' she mumbled, as they walked.

'Yes?'

'I was going to tell you this earlier, but I didn't know how,' she continued softly. 'It's about the nightmare I had last night.'

Immediately, Eaglefang turned to face her, although he didn't stop moving. 'Go on,' he gestured.

'It wasn't the same as it usually was,' she explained. 'At least, not until the end. I still saw them in the clearing, and they were still covered in blood, but when I'd usually wake up from the dream, they started to say something else.'

'Yes?' Eaglefang pressed. 'What did they say?'

She shuffled her paws, clearly unsettled, as she spoke. 'They told me that the past is drenched in blood, but the future is pale as light.' She swiveled her head to face him, her eyes fearful. 'What were they talking about? Do you know what they meant?'

Eaglefang thought about it for a moment. _The past is drenched in blood, but the future is pale as light_. The ominous words sent a shiver down his spine. He shrugged, feeling perplexed. 'I don't know, Palewhisper.' He glanced up at the horizon line. The sun was nowhere to be seen. 'It could mean anything.'

After that, the two of them said nothing more until they got back to camp.

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_


	7. Chapter 6: Smoketalon

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER 6

Smoketalon stood outside the nursery, slightly to the right of the entrance. It was early morning. The sun was only just breaking over the pine trees of ShadowClan's territory, but despite this, most of the cats in the camp were already awake. The tomcat didn't blame them. Ravenstar had promised them something special would be announced in the morning.

Aspenpaw was crouched down beside him, shivering a little. His ears were flattened against the sides of his head, and his fur was damp and bedraggled; it had rained last night, and some of the water had soaked through the roof of their den and onto his pelt. It was a shame, really. Smoketalon had hoped that Aspenpaw would get a full night's sleep, since he hadn't in a long while. The apprentice usually slept in phases, often waking up in the middle of night only to fall asleep again a few moments later. He didn't have any nightmares, but the poor conditions of the slaves' den, and the constant hard work they were put through during the day, weren't agreeing with him. Or Smoketalon, for that matter.

He glanced down at the apprentice, studying for a moment the messy pelt, the kinked tail, and the shivering of his muscles. _No,_ Smoketalon thought, _he certainly doesn't look great_. He tried to remember what Aspenpaw had looked like back in ThunderClan. As a warrior, he hadn't spent very much time around him. He wasn't his mentor, so there was no need, but he had vague recollections of his bouncy, excited attitude, and how he'd groomed his pelt every day to make sure it looked neat and tidy. It suddenly occurred to him that the apprentice's nose was runny as well. Smoketalon hoped that it didn't catch into anything. Even something as innocent as a runny nose could develop into whitecough in the harshness of leafbare.

Suddenly, Aspenpaw glanced up, noticing that Smoketalon was looking at him. Quickly, as though he was embarrassed that he'd been caught looking so low, he straightened up and licked his chest self-consciously. 'What is it?' he asked nervously.

The smallest hint of a smirk appeared at the corners of Smoketalon's mouth. 'Nothing,' he mewed innocently, before turning away from the apprentice and looking over to the other side of the clearing **.**

Almost all of ShadowClan had gathered around the leader's den for the announcement. Smoketalon had never seen the camp look so full before. He shifted uncomfortably as he glanced around at the dozens of cats. Their excited chatter rang out through the air, echoing out of the camp and into the forest. Smoketalon had always felt uncomfortable around large groups of cats – they made him feel uneasy, especially when they were ones he didn't feel any kinship with. But Ravenstar had ordered that the whole of ShadowClan appear for the announcement, and unfortunately for him and Aspenpaw, that also included them. His gaze flickered over his shoulder. Bonefur, a brutish ShadowClan tomcat, stood there, watching him through narrowed eyes. _Just to make sure I don't try anything, I suppose,_ Smoketalon thought.

Bonefur growled when he saw Smoketalon looking at him. The slave made sure to flash his claws threateningly in return, before forcing his gaze away.

Aspenpaw nudged him lightly on the shoulder, trying to catch his attention. 'Hey,' he hissed under his breath. 'Did anyone tell you what this announcement was going to be about? No one told me.'

Smoketalon shook his head. 'No,' he replied. 'You know just about as much as I do.'

He looked over to the leader's den, where he knew Ravenstar would emerge from soon. The ShadowClan leader spent most his time out of sight, leaving Emberheart to do all the main leadership jobs. He'd never seen Ravenstar lead a patrol or show any interest in his own Clan's personal affairs, like many other leaders did, and yet despite this, his power over the Clan was indisputable. Smoketalon had only met him once, but he'd seen enough cruelty and lack of remorse in that time to never want to see him again.

So what was so important that Ravenstar had to make an appearance? The tomcat glanced sideways toward the nursery. He could hear muffled voices coming from inside. _I think I can guess,_ he thought.

As if on cue, one of the nursery queens stepped out through the lichen entrance. There was a small ginger tom by her side. A kit. Smoketalon knew the queen's name – it was Poppycloud. She had been raising her single kit ever since he and Aspenpaw had arrived in ShadowClan, and now, there was no doubt in his mind about what Ravenstar's announcement was about. It seemed it was time for that kit to be apprenticed.

Aspenpaw realized what was happening a moment later than Smoketalon did. He let out a short gasp of excitement. 'An apprentice ceremony!' he exclaimed. 'I haven't seen one of those since... well, since _I_ became one!'

Smoketalon snorted disdainfully. 'I wouldn't get too excited about it,' he muttered. 'We're not really involved.'

Aspenpaw tilted his head to one side. 'Why not?' he asked. 'We're part of ShadowClan, aren't we?'

For some reason, what the apprentice said made him furiously angry. He spun around to face him, the fur along his back bristling. _'No_ , we're _not_ part of ShadowClan!' he snapped. 'Have you forgotten where you were born?'

Aspenpaw recoiled in shock at Smoketalon's anger. He shuffled his paws awkwardly, his eyes fixed on the ground. 'I'm sorry,' he mumbled. 'It's just that ThunderClan isn't here anymore.'

Smoketalon stared at him for a moment, breathing in and out heavily. Regret tugged at him like a thorn in his side. He wanted to tell the apprentice he hadn't meant to snap, but he was too proud to say he didn't mean it.

In the end, he just snorted. 'Whatever.'

Suddenly, he heard the ShadowClan cats' voices increase in volume. His ears pricked up, listening in on what they were saying.

'There he is!' one of the cats nearby him said. 'What took him so long?'

'I know, right? It's well past morning.'

Smoketalon turned his head, following the ShadowClan cats' gaze. When he saw what they were looking at, he froze on the spot. Standing just outside his den, with his icy blue eyes scanning over the crowd of cats, was Ravenstar. The leader stood still for a while, motionless, before finally raising his tail.

The effect of the gesture was immediate. Every cat in the camp went quiet. That was all it took for him to silence the crowd. It was a show of complete and absolute control. Smoketalon glanced around at the cats surrounding him. Some of them had their heads bowed with respect, whereas others just stared straight forward. A few of them looked almost scared.

The ShadowClan leader stepped forward, before addressing the Clan with a voice as cold as leafbare. 'We are gathered here today to witness the naming of ShadowClan's newest apprentice,' he mewed calmly. 'Would Tanglekit please step forward.'

The kit looked up as Ravenstar spoke his name. His eyes, although still full of enthusiasm, gave away how nervous he was. He hesitated, just as he was about to step forward. Slowly, Poppycloud leaned down and whispered some words of encouragement into his ear. The young kit nodded, before padding across the clearing toward the leader's den. All the while, Ravenstar watched, his eyes expressionless.

When Tanglekit reached him, Ravenstar bent down so that he was level with the kit. Smoketalon couldn't see his face, but he imagined that the kit was afraid. He could taste fear scent in the air, although he wasn't sure whether it was just from the kit. _Isn't an apprentice ceremony meant to be a happy occasion?_ he thought. _Not even Poppycloud looks very pleased about it._

'Tanglekit,' Ravenstar meowed, addressing the whole Clan, 'you have reached the age of six moons, and therefore it is time for you to be apprenticed. From this day on, until you receive your warrior name, you will be known as Tanglepaw. Your mentor will be Duskwing. I hope Duskwing will pass down everything she has learnt to you.'

He nodded to the russet colored she-cat, calling her forward. She padded over, composed and unsurprised. She'd obviously been informed she was going to be Tanglekit's mentor beforehand.

'Duskwing,' Ravenstar continued, 'you received excellent training from Cedarheart, and you have shown yourself to be both loyal and courageous. You will be the mentor of Tanglepaw, and I expect you to teach all you know to him in turn.'

Duskwing smiled a little at his praise, before touching her muzzle gently against Tanglepaw's. His amber eyes were brimming with eagerness. Slowly, the Clan around them began to chant his new name, and the first glimmers of happiness for the new apprentice started to show. The chant grew louder and louder, with Poppycloud cheering loudest of all.

'Tanglepaw! Tanglepaw! Tanglepaw!'

Aspenpaw opened his mouth to join in, but Smoketalon flicked his tail quickly over the apprentice's muzzle. 'Don't even think about it,' the black tom growled. 'Remember, we're not a part of this.'

Aspenpaw's eyes narrowed, betraying his annoyance, but he didn't say a word.

After the ceremony had finished, the crowd began to disperse. Tanglepaw bounced back over to his mother, who greeted him with a shower of affectionate licks. Now that Ravenstar had finished speaking, the spell of silence appeared to have been broken. The leader watched his Clan carefully for a few moments longer, before padding back into the shadowy confines of his den. Smoketalon wondered when the next time he'd see Ravenstar would be. Something told him it would be a while.

'Come on,' he grunted to Aspenpaw, 'let's go back to our den.'

Slowly, he began to pad back in the direction of the slaves' den. Aspenpaw followed suit, albeit reluctantly, but they'd only gotten halfway when a familiar voice called out his name.

'Smoketalon!'

The tomcat stopped dead in his tracks. The familiar voice reignited a fire of pain, hurt and anger in his heart. Stiffly, he turned back around to see Emberheart, the ShadowClan deputy, padding toward him. His pelt was well groomed and glossy in the shallow leafbare light. _Murderer,_ Smoketalon snarled in his mind. _Don't think I've forgotten what you did to my brother._

He glared furiously at the deputy as he approached. Emberheart glanced his way for a moment, but when their eyes met, he looked away. Smoketalon couldn't interpret the expression on his face, but he hoped that the deputy was as terrified of him as the whole of ShadowClan was of Ravenstar. _Come on,_ Smoketalon thought, his claws itching inside their sheaths, _Look at me, you coward._

But Emberheart didn't spare him a second glance, instead choosing to focus his attention on Aspenpaw. A feeling of triumph, but equal disgust, washed over him. The tom was ashamed to look at him!

'You,' Emberheart murmured, facing Aspenpaw. 'I want you to go and make Tanglepaw's new nest.' A look of annoyance flashed in his eyes. 'I did tell Wolfpaw to go and make it earlier, but it seems he still hasn't done it.'

Aspenpaw's gaze flickered over to Smoketalon. He was wondering why he'd been told to do it instead of his older counterpart, but when the apprentice received no answer, he nodded doubtfully. 'Yes, Emberheart,' he mewed obediently. 'I'll do that right away.'

After Aspenpaw had padded away, Emberheart finally looked up toward Smoketalon. He didn't seem surprised at the undisguised venom in the slave's face. 'And you,' he demanded, 'can go and collect some fresh-kill for Ivynose. Now that Poppycloud has left the nursery, she'll be all alone in there.'

But Smoketalon stayed exactly where he was, unmoving. His eyes were narrowed down to angry slits.

After a moment's pause, Emberheart stepped forward, his teeth bared. They were sharp and pointed. 'You wouldn't dare disobey a direct order, would you?'

'Why not?' Smoketalon retorted. 'It sounded like that apprentice did.'

'Now listen here,' the deputy hissed viciously. 'If you don't do exactly as I say, I'll make sure the punishment is so harsh that you'd never even think of disobeying me again. Understood?'

Smoketalon felt a wave of surprise wash over him. He'd never seen Emberheart get so angry before. The ginger tom was glaring at him, pure ferocity clear on his face. He was panting heavily, like something inside him exploded. Maybe it hadn't been the first time somebody had defied Emberheart so openly; after all, it seemed that Wolfpaw hadn't had much respect for him. What about the rest of the Clan?

Either way, the thought that'd he managed to get under Emberheart's pelt so easily made him smirk.

But only a moment or two later, the deputy began to calm down. His breathing slowed, and he shuffled his paws a little awkwardly. 'Just–' he hesitated. 'Just do it, okay?'

Smoketalon looked deep into Emberheart's eyes, trying to figure out what he was thinking, but their emerald depths betrayed no secrets. He considered refusing to obey him again, but there wasn't much point. It had been so easy to rile him up, so what was the fun in continuing? Smoketalon wanted to play with his prey first, before he enacted his true revenge.

'Fine,' the slave replied sarcastically. 'I will, great deputy Emberheart.'

Emberheart opened his mouth, ready to say something more, but Smoketalon was already padding away. The cruel smile on his face only grew wider as imagined the look on the deputy's face. _He's weak,_ the tom thought, _he's weak and I'm strong. One day, I'll show him the price that murderers have to pay._

Ignoring the disapproving, hostile looks he received on the way to the fresh-kill pile (he had grown used to it by now), Smoketalon selected a generously large frog for Ivynose and started to carry it back over to the nursery. It was very nice-looking considering the season – ShadowClan wouldn't be getting anything better than that over the course of leafbare. He glanced up at the sky. Whatever sun had previously been shining had been covered up by a thick layer of clouds.

The nursery was slightly better concealed from the rest of the camp than some of the other dens were. In ThunderClan, it had been the same, just in case of an attack. Smoketalon snorted. Evidently, it hadn't worked very well for them in the end. He leaned forward, trying to see inside the den's shadowy interior. He could smell his and Aspenpaw's scent from earlier, as well as that of many other queens and kits of days past, overlaid most strongly with the comforting aroma of milk. Smoketalon breathed in deeply. The milky smell soothed his raging emotions, reminding him of the days he'd spent at his mother's belly. And, consequently, of Beechfoot.

The tom exhaled. _No. Don't think about him now_ , he thought, before padding into the den.

It took his eyes a moment to adjust to the darkness. He blinked rapidly, before color returned to his vision as he looked around at the inside of the den. It felt strangely empty, as if it were missing something. There was a space where one of the nests had been cleared out; he assumed it had belonged to Poppycloud.

'Nightwhisper?' a voice called out. 'Is that you?'

Smoketalon turned his head in the direction the voice had come from. Sitting in the corner, curled up in another one of the nests, was the figure of a she-cat. Her pelt, a dark color that seemed to have been absorbed into the gloom, must've been either brown or grey. She was peering at him, confused. _Nightwhisper?_ he thought. _The ShadowClan warrior?_

It took him a moment to realize that the she-cat had mistaken him for another cat. He rolled his eyes, guessing that she would be moving in with the elders soon if she couldn't tell his scent apart from one of her own Clanmates.

'No,' he grunted coldly. 'It's not Nightwhisper.'

She tilted her head back, surprised. 'Really?' she mewed, chuckling a little. 'Oh, well then it must be you, Ravenstar. You and your brother always did look so alike.'

Smoketalon scoffed. _StarClan, she must have bees in her brain._

He was just about to tell her that he wasn't either of the cats she'd mentioned, but the she-cat ploughed on before he could. 'I must say, I wasn't expecting you to come and visit me, Ravenstar.' She laughed again, although a little bitterly this time. 'Sometimes, it feels like you've forgotten that I'm your mother.'

Instantly, Smoketalon's ear twitched with interest. _So this is_ _Ravenstar and Nightwhisper's mother?_ he thought. _I knew they were brothers, but..._ He looked her up and down, finding it a little hard to believe that a cat who looked so frail could have given birth to a leader like Ravenstar. _I'm guessing this is Ivynose._

Smoketalon stepped forward, feeling a little more wary. 'I'm sorry,' he meowed, 'but I'm not Ravenstar, or Nightwhisper. Emberheart sent me to give you some prey.'

The she-cat went silent. Smoketalon could see the disappointed glint in her eyes. 'Oh,' she murmured. 'I'm sorry.'

For a moment, Smoketalon went quiet too. There was an unmistakable loneliness in Ivynose's hunched over posture, and her raspy old voice. He didn't feel sorry for her, but he couldn't help but feel a small sense of respect. Even if she was from ShadowClan.

Eventually, the she-cat shook her head and straightened up, breaking the silence. 'So who _are_ you, then?' she asked, exasperated. 'I don't think I've seen you before.'

At the question, Smoketalon felt his shoulders stiffen. 'I'm new here,' he replied.

'New here?'

'Yes.'

'What do you mean by _new_?' she pressed, a little suspiciously. 'Ravenstar doesn't take in strays.'

Smoketalon felt a glimmer of annoyance at her failure to take up the hint. 'No, but I'm not a stray. I'm from another one of the Clans.'

At this, Ivynose nodded in understanding. 'I see,' she mewed. 'And you say Emberheart sent you?'

Smoketalon was surprised at how easily she passed off the fact that he was a slave. There was no prejudice, hostility or spite in her voice. Just a calm acceptance.

'Yes,' Smoketalon muttered. He padded forward and dropped the frog at her paws. 'He ordered me to collect you some prey.'

'You don't sound very pleased about it.'

'Would you be if your – if your _masters –_ were the cats who destroyed your Clan?' he spat challengingly.

Ivynose's eyes narrowed. 'No,' she answered. 'I guess not.'

The she-cat looked down at her paws, where Smoketalon had dropped the frog. She picked at it half-heartedly. 'This is for me?'

'Yes,' Smoketalon grumbled, equally as unenthusiastic. He stared at it for a moment, realizing suddenly just how hungry he was. He licked his chops slowly.

'I don't want it,' Ivynose muttered, pushing it away. 'I'm not hungry.'

Smoketalon looked at her, thoroughly unconvinced. _Ungrateful she-cat,_ he thought. _Some cats have the decency not to refuse prey when it's offered to them in leafbare._

But somehow, the tom got the feeling that Emberheart wouldn't take "she wasn't hungry" as an excuse. He rolled the frog back toward her. 'I'm sorry,' he mewed, not sounding in the least apologetic. 'Emberheart sounded worried.'

'Well, you can tell Emberheart that I may be old, but I haven't retired to the elders' den just yet,' she snapped. 'I'm perfectly capable of fetching my own prey.'

The smallest of grins appeared at the corners of Smoketalon's mouth. 'Clearly,' he remarked, tossing the frog to one side. 'I'll tell him that.'

Ivynose snorted. 'Oh, you should.'

The jet-black tom was just about to turn around and leave, feeling unusually satisfied, when Ivynose's voice echoed out once more. 'Even if I'm not hungry, StarClan wouldn't approve if such an appetizing frog went to waste,' she uttered mildly. 'Perhaps you'd like it.'

Smoketalon stopped, a wave of shock passing over him. He turned around to face her again. 'Did you just offer me food?'

'Indeed I did,' Ivynose replied. She was looking at him curiously. '...Unless you don't want it.'

'No,' he meowed quickly. He glanced over where the body of the frog lay. 'It's just that it's not normal a slave is offered food.'

Ivynose didn't reply for a moment, until she finally opened her mouth. 'Look, I wouldn't take it for heartfelt sentiment,' she rasped. 'Just a token of appreciation for giving me an interesting conversation. Something like that doesn't come around too often anymore.'

Smoketalon nodded immediately. _She doesn't want me to go because she wants someone to talk to,_ he realized. _She really must be lonely._

But either way, he wasn't going to pass on an invitation to eat when it came along. Quickly, the tomcat bent over and took the frog in his mouth, chewing it rapidly. It tasted somewhat sour in his mouth and felt strangely rubbery. He wasn't used to frogs after a lifetime of eating forest prey back in ThunderClan, but it was prey nonetheless. Within more moments, he'd eaten the whole thing.

He thought he heard a hint of a purr from Ivynose as the frog's webbed foot disappeared down his gullet. 'There you go,' she mewed. 'ShadowClan prey isn't too bad, is it?'

'I guess not,' Smoketalon replied. He wiped his mouth with his paw, enjoying the taste of the prey on his tongue. 'Thank you.'

She shook her head. 'It's no problem.'

Smoketalon twitched his tail, before getting to his paws and padding over to the entrance of the den. He twisted his head around to look at her when he reached it. 'You know, I guess that wasn't the worst job I've ever had to do,' he admitted, although grudgingly.

Ivynose chuckled. 'I bet you it wasn't,' she meowed. 'If I ever need anything done, I'll make sure to ask for you.'

The slave shrugged. He started to pad out into the camp, but Ivynose stopped him for the third time.

'You know, I'm not surprised I mistook you for Ravenstar and Nightwhisper,' she stated matter-of-factly. 'You do look an awful lot like them.'

Smoketalon raised an eyebrow. He wasn't sure whether what she'd said was a compliment or not. He tapped the tip of one of his claws against the ground. There was something in her face which told him she was thinking about something deep. Something personal. Something that had happened long ago.

'Whatever,' he grumbled, before ducking away from Ivynose's uncomfortable gaze.

The camp wasn't as full as before. Hardly any of the warriors were present, so Smoketalon assumed they were all out on patrols. _Aspenpaw should have finished making Tanglepaw's nest by now,_ he thought. _I should go and_ _find him._

Slowly, he made his way over to the apprentices' den, where he knew Aspenpaw had gone to after he'd left him and Emberheart. There was a hint of the grey tom's scent in the air. Faded, but unmistakably his. Smoketalon wondered whether Aspenpaw had already gone back to the slaves' den. It seemed likely. After all, it didn't take that long to make someone's nest.

He was just about to head back to the slaves' den, when suddenly, he heard voices from inside the apprentices' den. One of them he didn't recognize, but it was clearly a young voice, possibly that of Tanglepaw. The other he knew instantly was Aspenpaw. Smoketalon listened in, trying to make out what they were saying. It sounded shrill, high and oddly lively. He tilted his head back when he realized what they were doing. They were laughing!

Quickly, he ducked into the den. His eyes widened in shock at what he saw.

Aspenpaw was sitting down, his paws tucked neatly underneath his flank. Tanglepaw stood just above him, his head held back in laughter. Aspenpaw was chuckling too. There was a twinkle in the two apprentices' eyes when they looked at each other, as though they were friends who had known each other all their lives.

They froze instinctively when Smoketalon walked in. Aspenpaw stared at his fellow slave for a moment, before he stood up awkwardly, his tail between his legs.

'Hey, Smoketalon,' he stammered. 'I-I didn't see you there.'

Smoketalon looked from him, to Tanglepaw, and then back again. The ShadowClan apprentice's dark ginger fur was ruffled and untidy. There was a lazy smile on his face, but he too looked uncomfortable now.

A hot wave of anger filled him from head to toe. Smoketalon felt like he had been betrayed. _Tanglepaw is one of them!_ he thought angrily. _How can Aspenpaw act like a friend to him?_

He glared at Aspenpaw, before gesturing toward the exit of the apprentices' den. 'Come on,' he growled. 'We're leaving.'

The grey apprentice nodded without hesitation. The tom padded forward to follow Smoketalon out, but just before he did, he turned back to Tanglepaw and smiled. 'That was really fun, Tanglepaw,' he mewed softly. 'We can chat again sometime, right?'

Tanglepaw grinned happily. 'Anytime!'

The hair along Smoketalon's back crawled in disgust. 'Get moving,' he hissed.

Aspenpaw's body seemed to shrink. He dashed out of the den without another word. Smoketalon stared at the apprentice icily, but he didn't speak, not with some of the ShadowClan cats watching. Instead, he led him swiftly back to the slaves' den. Aspenpaw's shoulders were hunched over, like a kit preparing himself for a telling-off.

As soon as they got inside, Smoketalon rounded on him, eyes full of fury. ' _What_ in StarClan's name was _that_?' he snarled.

Aspenpaw shrunk down even lower. 'I'm sorry!' he exclaimed pitifully. 'Tanglepaw and I were just talking!'

'Yeah, talking like you were best friends,' Smoketalon snarled coldly. He remembered what he'd told the apprentice earlier, about not being part of ShadowClan. Clearly, he either hadn't understood him, or just hadn't bothered to listen.

'What did I say at the ceremony this morning?' he asked, trying desperately to keep his voice calm and level. 'What did I say about us and ShadowClan? Don't you remember where we were born? Don't you remember your old Clan?'

'Yes,' Aspenpaw moaned, rocking on his tail guiltily.

'Then why were you acting like that?' Smoketalon growled, throwing his paws back in exasperation. 'You're not Tanglepaw's Clanmate.'

'I know,' Aspenpaw replied. 'But even if I'm a slave, why does that mean I can't be friends with _anyone?_ I miss having friends. I miss talking to cats.'

'You have me,' Smoketalon retorted. 'Isn't that enough?'

'Of course!' Aspenpaw mewed sincerely. 'You're... you're more than a friend, Smoketalon. You protected me on the night of the attack. You protected me when we first became slaves. But I'm still lonely, Smoketalon! I miss feeling that kinship to everyone, that bond that linked us all together. Don't you?'

Smoketalon felt pity fill his heart. 'Of course I do,' he whispered, lowering himself down to Aspenpaw's height. 'But don't you see that ShadowClan is the reason why we lost everything? How can you possibly be friends with the cats who destroyed everything you had?'

Aspenpaw didn't answer that one. His eyes were watery.

The black tom dipped his head. 'Can you at least say that you're not part of ShadowClan?' he asked quietly. 'Can you at least promise me you haven't forgotten what they did to us?'

When Aspenpaw didn't answer again, Smoketalon raised his voice a little. 'Come on, Aspenpaw,' he meowed. 'I'm not asking for much.'

The apprentice muttered something under his breath.

'What?'

Finally, Aspenpaw raised his head. 'I promise.'

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_


	8. Chapter 7: Sageclaw

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER SEVEN

The vole stopped sniffing at the berries as Sageclaw approached. His shoulders were bunched closely together, brow furrowed in concentration. This was the first vole Sageclaw had seen in days, and he didn't intend to let it slip through his paws. It looked stringy and malnourished, but it made no difference. _I have to catch this_ , the tom thought gravely. _I didn't manage to catch three_ _pieces of prey yesterday._

Slowly, he shifted his body weight so that he was facing the prey head-on. The vole sniffed, before turning its back on Sageclaw and facing the berry again, revealing its neck. This was his chance. Sageclaw leapt forward, sinking his teeth into the vole's flesh. Its body went still and lifeless in his jaws. The lack of movement told the tom the hunt was over.

Sageclaw didn't get any satisfaction out of the kill. After all, it wasn't his Clan that he was feeding. Quickly, he dug up a small pile of earth and buried the vole's body, making sure to take a mental note of the hole's position so he could collect it later. The tom glanced back in the direction he'd come from, where he'd caught the other two pieces of prey. It was a wonder he was still managing to meet the hunting targets Shellstorm had set him and Foxflame, even after they'd been lowered. The amount of forest prey amongst the streams of RiverClan's territory was dwindling precariously; it didn't help that he couldn't catch fish, either.

Sageclaw grunted, before scraping the few piles of soil he'd dug up over the vole. He remembered where his patrol had told him to meet them after he'd caught all the necessary prey, upstream from the camp by the WindClan border. They had to take the prey that WindClan had caught for them in ThunderClan's territory. Sageclaw's whiskers twitched a little with anxiety. He'd never been on one of the patrols which collected the prey from WindClan before, but Foxflame had told him that it wasn't fun. Apparently, the encounter nearly always ended with an argument of some kind. Sageclaw didn't blame WindClan for being uptight over how much prey they gave away. It was leafbare, after all. Prey was always scarce.

A cold wind rushed through the trees, making his fur rise. He shivered, before padding away from his kill toward the WindClan border. The tom breathed in, making sure there were no other prey scents in the area as he left. It wouldn't hurt to catch more than was expected from him. Unsurprisingly, however, there wasn't any.

As he walked, Sageclaw started to take his mind off hunting. He thought about how tense things were beginning to get, not just inside the RiverClan camp, but outside as well. More often than not, patrols returned to camp with reports of hostility amongst the other two Clans' patrols, which never went down well with Shellstorm. But Sageclaw had been most taken back at the attitudes between Clanmates within RiverClan. It was almost a common occurrence to see the warriors argue with each other, something which, Sageclaw often noted, wouldn't have happened in ThunderClan. Or at least, he preferred to remember not happening in ThunderClan. Perhaps it had been just the same in his birth Clan, but he had glazed over the memories he would rather forget.

There had been a noticeable, and slightly worrying, change in Foxflame as of late. Somehow, Sageclaw had suspected that leafbare wouldn't agree with the dark ginger she-cat, and he'd been proven correct. She was becoming more frustrated and agitated with her life as a slave by the day, and Sageclaw didn't blame her. But despite how much she annoyed him in return, he still worried about her. He didn't want the she-cat to get herself into trouble. She was his last reminder of home.

Suddenly, the scent of the rest of Sageclaw's patrol hit his nostrils. Quickly, he shook himself, trying to push away the unwanted thoughts as he came closer. The patrol, led by Rowanleap, looked impatient. Beetlenose and his apprentice, Troutpaw, were also there, a small pile of fish at their paws. They'd been hunting, and they seemed just as tired out as he was.

'There you are,' Rowanleap grunted disapprovingly as Sageclaw approached. He glanced downward, and noticed that the slave's paws were empty. 'Don't tell me you didn't catch anything.'

'Of course I did,' Sageclaw replied, his eyes narrowing a little. 'They're buried back where I caught them. We can collect them on the way back.'

Rowanleap looked him up and down disbelievingly, as did Beetlenose. Sageclaw glared back. He wasn't going to let the patrol leader intimidate him. The RiverClan cat was just being unreasonable.

Eventually, Rowanleap snorted. 'Alright, slave,' he muttered, pointedly turning his back on him. 'Let's go and collect this prey.'

Sageclaw gnashed his teeth angrily as he followed the patrol closer to the WindClan border. _I'm sick of all this stupid suspicion!_ he snarled in his mind. _I've been here for moons. They should a least trust me a little bit by now._

The thought almost stopped Sageclaw right in his tracks. He had never considered that before. _Have I really been here for moons?_ he thought. He'd arrived in late greenleaf, just before leaf-fall had begun. That meant he'd been imprisoned as a slave inside RiverClan for two moons now. Sageclaw felt a prickle of sadness within him. How much longer would he be a slave for?

A tail brushed against his chest, gesturing for him to halt. He looked up to see that it was Beetlenose's tail. The black tom had gone quite still, as had Troutpaw beside him. Rowanleap had apparently told them to stop. His eyes were fixed on something in the distance. Sageclaw followed his gaze, and instantly, he too stiffened.

It was the WindClan patrol. They were waiting for them at the border. He didn't recognize all of them, but he'd met the leader of the patrol, Morningflight, at Gatherings previously. He hadn't liked her then, be he most certainly didn't the like the way she was looking at them now. Even at a distance, Sageclaw could see the aggression in both her own posture and in the rest of the WindClan patrol.

Rowanleap remained silent for a moment, until finally, his right ear twitched, and they edged forward to approach the border. Sageclaw made sure to trail behind the RiverClan warriors, reluctant to get involved. As they crept closer, the tom started to make out the shapes of fresh-kill in the WindClan cats' jaws. Clearly, they hadn't had much luck out hunting. Their catches looked just as unappetizing as the vole he'd caught earlier.

'Morningflight,' Rowanleap greeted coolly as they reached the patrol.

'Rowanleap,' she nodded in return. There was an unbearable tension in the air, as thick as a cloud of smoke. Sageclaw kneaded the ground nervously. Quickly, he peered through the cats on the opposite of the border, trying to see if either Eaglefang or Palewhisper were present among the WindClan patrol. To his disappointment, they weren't.

Rowanleap seemed eager to dispose of the formalities quickly. 'Let's get straight to business,' he mewed curtly, although Morningflight didn't look too approving. 'How much prey are you offering us?'

For a moment, neither Morningflight nor anyone else on the patrol moved. Sageclaw thought that she might refuse to hand over any prey at all, but then, reluctantly, she signaled with a flick of her tail for her Clanmates to bring the fresh-kill forward. One of the warriors, a brown tom, padded forward and dropped a mouse, shrew, and one measly robin at Rowanleap's paws.

Sageclaw waited for him to put down the rest, but instead, the tom turned around and padded back to his patrol. He assumed that the other WindClan cats would give them some as well, but they all kept still.

Beetlenose stared at the three pieces of prey offered up, as though he couldn't believe what they'd just been given. 'That's it?' he exclaimed. 'Three pieces of prey?'

Morningflight turned to him, her eyes cold. 'That was all we caught,' she snapped.

'What, between a patrol of four cats?' Rowanleap growled. 'You fox-hearted liar!'

Whatever shared politeness the WindClan patrol might've been showing evaporated on the spot. The brown tom who'd given them the prey leapt up in fury, and Morningflight unsheathed her claws. Sageclaw winced. _WindClan do have some nerve to give RiverClan so little,_ he thought, _but Rowanleap could've at least been a bit more subtle about it._

'You ungrateful fish-brains!' Morningflight yowled. 'We spend our hunting time catching prey for you, and you don't even show a morsel of gratitude?'

'Why would we when you have such a pathetic amount to show for it?' Beetlenose hissed. 'There's plenty there that you've kept for yourself. Where did you catch that?'

Morningflight's expression turned sour. 'We caught it on _our_ territory,' she said dangerously.

Sageclaw's eyes widened. _What does she mean by that?_ he wondered. _She could've meant that they'd caught the prey on the moors, but it sounded like she was saying that ThunderClan's territory belonged solely to them!_

Rowanleap sensed the hidden meaning behind Morningflight's words as well. He stepped forward until he was nose to nose with the WindClan she-cat, his sharp fangs bared. 'I don't know what kind of bone you have to pick with RiverClan,' he whispered threateningly, 'but whatever is, you can tell Gorsestar he's making a big mistake. We are not your enemy.'

'Oh, really?' Morningflight retorted. 'Well, you can tell _Streamstar_ that we are perfectly aware of her Clan's intrusions into our territory, and we're not going to take it lightly!'

Now, Rowanleap simply looked outraged. 'What?' he shouted.

'We've picked up your scent,' one of the WindClan warriors snarled, 'every day inside of our border. Often, you leave our territory stinking of prey. Why should we give up our catch when you seem to think it's perfectly fine to steal it?'

Rowanleap looked at Morningflight incredulously. 'We have done no such thing,' he insisted. 'Whoever caught this scent must've had it mistaken with a rogue.'

'WindClan's warriors know what is RiverClan scent and what is not,' Morningflight spat. 'We also seem to know the warrior code a lot better than you do.'

Rowanleap just shook his head. 'RiverClan are not going to stand for these ridiculous accusations,' he hissed, backing away from Morningflight and firmly back onto his own side of the border. 'There is a not a word of truth to any of them.'

Morningflight glared daggers at him. 'Evidence suggests otherwise.'

For a moment, everything went silent. Sageclaw couldn't believe how quickly tensions between the two patrols had escalated, neither had he suspected that things were as bad between the two Clans as they were. One Clan catching prey for another had been an idea that was bound to cause problems, but the level of aggression in the WindClan warriors' voices shocked him.

Eventually, Rowanleap looked away. 'Come,' he snapped to his patrol, turning his back on the WindClan cats. 'We're going back to camp.'

As he passed Sageclaw, his voice became icier. 'And bring the prey, slave!'

Without hesitation, Sageclaw nodded. 'Yes sir,' he meowed quickly. The tom picked up the fresh-kill, before dashing after the patrol heading back into RiverClan's territory. Just before they disappeared through the trees, Sageclaw glanced over his shoulder, back toward the border. The WindClan patrol watched them go, their pelts bristling with hostility.

The rest of the journey back was spent in unnerving silence. The ThunderClan tom could see from Rowanleap's hunched-over shoulders that he was seething with thinly suppressed rage. Beetlenose and Troutpaw looked much the same, and if he could be perfectly honest, Sageclaw didn't blame them. As much as he disliked both RiverClan and WindClan, he knew that Morningflight's claim that cats had been intruding on their territory was purely fabricated. Neither Shellstorm nor Streamstar had ordered any warriors to hunt outside RiverClan's borders. Sageclaw knew that better than anyone; he'd been on almost every one of those hunting patrols. But the WindClan cats had seemed so convinced, and they'd even mentioned that they had evidence! So what sort of evidence could they possibly have?

As soon as they padded into camp, Rowanleap headed straight for Shellstorm. The massive silver tabby was lounging beneath the shade of his leader's den, enjoying the company of his senior warriors. His mate, Reedshade, wasn't there. Sageclaw remembered the last time he'd spoken to Reedshade, when the deputy had ordered him to collect moss for her nest. Shellstorm had seemed surprisingly soft and gentle toward the attractive she-cat. But, it seemed he wasn't going to show that particular attitude to the rest of RiverClan now. As soon as Rowanleap explained to him what happened out on the patrol, the tom's face contorted in anger. The other senior warriors raised their heads, sensing Shellstorm's expression, which in turn caught the attention of the other warriors scattered around the clearing. Shellstorm got to his paws and questioned Rowanleap for a few moments longer, before twisting around and padding toward the entrance to the leader's den.

But before he could enter, one of the other warriors, Lilypelt, called out to him. 'Hey! What's wrong?'

'Yeah, did something happen out on patrol?'

'I bet you WindClan were causing trouble again.'

Shellstorm glanced toward his leader's den again, conflicted over telling his Clanmates the truth before his leader. Sageclaw watched him carefully. _It would be disrespectful not to prioritize his leader,_ he thought. _Not that he has respect for anyone but himself._

And Sageclaw was proven right when the deputy stood up to his full height, finally addressing the Clan below him. 'Cats of RiverClan!' he announced. 'WindClan have been making accusations against us!'

Sounds of shock passed over the crowd beneath. 'About what?'

Shellstorm looked sideways at Rowanleap, who nodded, reassuring the deputy that the claims were true. 'Prey-stealing,' Shellstorm hissed. 'They've accused us of prey-stealing.'

The sounds of shock transformed into caterwauls of fury. ' _What_?' a senior warrior, Dappleheart, shouted. 'How _dare_ they!'

'I know,' Beetlenose growled, disgusted. He reached out and took the WindClan prey from Sageclaw, laying it out so that the whole Clan could see it clearly. 'And not only that, but _this_ was how much prey they gave us in return.'

The yowls of protest continued. Cats began to stand up and unsheathe claws, hurling insults toward the sky. Shellstorm watched over it all. There was a strange, cruel glint in his eyes, a kind of bloodlust that made Sageclaw's pelt stand on end.

'We should attack them right now!'

'Yeah, we should show them that RiverClan aren't to be messed with!'

The glint in Shellstorm's eyes only became more cruel, and Sageclaw's horror increased. _They're talking about going into battle with WindClan!_ he thought. _But they haven't even spoken to their leader yet!_

' _Silence_!'

The stern voice echoed through the clearing, making all the cats in RiverClan turn their head toward the call. The yowls of anger stopped, giving way to an awkward quiet. Shellstorm spun around, only to come face to face with Streamstar, emerging from her den. The silver she-cat's blue eyes glimmered in the sun, reflecting into Sageclaw's gaze. She sat down on her haunches, looking over her Clan coldly, daring them to continue their chants. No cat uttered a word.

After the she-cat was satisfied that she'd gained her Clan's attention, she met Shellstorm's piercing gaze. 'Well, Shellstorm?' she asked frostily. 'What was the meaning of all this?'

The deputy continued to glare at his leader. He seemed reluctant to speak, and perhaps a little angry that his rally against WindClan had been halted. Sageclaw was beginning to think he might not even answer her, but then, his ear twitched.

'I was just explaining to the Clan about what took place on Rowanleap's patrol,' he mewed slowly.

'And what was it that took place?'

'It was about the prey collection from WindClan,' Shellstorm muttered. 'You know what they've been like recently, snapping at our patrols, getting worked up about stupid things-'

'Get to the point,' Streamstar mewed impatiently.

Shellstorm paused where he was for a moment, before gesturing for Rowanleap to explain what had happened. The patrol leader stepped forward confidently. 'They said that we were prey-stealers, Streamstar,' he explained. 'They said that they'd caught our scent on WindClan territory, and that we were stealing prey from them.'

Streamstar didn't say anything for a while as she processed the information presented to her. She looked surprised that WindClan had made such a bold accusation, but confused as well, as though she were trying to think of possible a way that they could've, somehow, smelled RiverClan scent on their territory. _At least she's taking things into consideration,_ Sageclaw thought, relieved, _unlike her deputy._

'And how much prey did we receive in the end?' she asked, after the pause.

Beetlenose nudged the fresh-kill they'd been given forward. 'This was it,' he meowed.

She frowned at the prey in front of her. 'Only three pieces?'

'Yes!' Troutpaw piped up. 'It's unacceptable.'

'It's more than unacceptable,' one of the warriors called out, 'it's inexcusable!'

At this, all the cats began to yowl and shout again, making sure that their leader heard a piece of their mind. Streamstar allowed them to for a time, taking in some of her Clanmates' opinions, but when the suggestion of attacking came up again, she stood up.

'Enough,' she snapped, her voice taking on a cold tone once more. 'Attacking WindClan is by no means an honorable or wise decision. One sign of hostility does not condone a war... however,' she turned to face Shellstorm, 'these are very serious allegations. I don't see what Gorsestar thinks his Clan would gain from a fight in the middle of leafbare, unless, of course,' she tilted her head to one side, 'the claims they've made have an element of truth.'

Of course, it was worded like a statement, but was in actuality a question. Streamstar was asking her Clan if they had anything to tell her about, any intrusions on other Clans' territory that they thought might've gone unnoticed. Overall, they replied with a resounding shake of the head, denying any possibility that WindClan may have been telling the truth, but Shellstorm, Sageclaw noticed, remained unmoving.

'Good,' Streamstar declared. 'Now, we don't want to provoke WindClan by sending extra patrols along the border, but we must be on our guard nonetheless. From now on, every border patrol must have at least five cats on it, with a limit of one apprentice or slave each.' She nodded at her deputy. 'I'll expect you to organize that.'

Shellstorm nodded back at her in return. The violent glint in his eyes had disappeared. 'Of course, Streamstar.'

Once the announcement was finished, the RiverClan cats began to disperse. Many of them returned to their dens, but a few of them stayed outside, chatting nervously about what had just transpired. Sageclaw was glad that Streamstar had dealt with the situation so efficiently, but he could see that many of the RiverClan warriors weren't happy. They hadn't wanted to be cautious. All they wanted was to attack the nearest WindClan cats they could, their claws itching for a fight.

Sageclaw was just about to retreat to the slaves' den, hoping to find Foxflame there, when a disgruntled voice made him stop. 'And just where do you think you're going?'

The tom sighed. _I just want to take a rest, for StarClan's sake!_ He looked over his shoulder to find Beetlenose padding over to him. Clearly he had been one of the warriors who hadn't liked Streamstar's more peaceful approach to WindClan's hostility.

'I was just going back to my den,' Sageclaw began, when Beetlenose reached him. 'I've finished all my hunting for the da-'

'You most certainly have not,' Beetlenose interrupted. 'You still haven't brought any prey back.'

Sageclaw didn't understand for a second, but then quickly he remembered. In all the excitement of what had happened on patrol, they'd forgotten to collect the prey he'd caught on the way back. He shook his head, annoyed at himself. 'Sorry, Beetlenose,' he muttered. 'I'll go and fetch it now.'

'You should be sorry,' the black tom growled as Sageclaw headed back toward the camp entrance. 'If that prey is gone, you'll be hunting all through the night to make up for what you lost.'

 _Grumpy flea-brain,_ Sageclaw thought frustratedly. _I would've gone and gotten that prey if Rowanleap hadn't ushered me back to camp so quickly._

It was colder outside the RiverClan camp than it had been only a few moments ago. The wind had picked up, and the branches of the nearby trees swayed and rustled rapidly. Sageclaw made sure to stick to the stream he'd followed when hunting earlier, just to ensure he didn't miss anything. There was no way he was going to spend his time hunting at night. Slowly, he found each of the places where he'd buried his kills and dug them up again, carrying the prey in his jaws until he found the next one. It didn't take him too long to find them all, at least, a lot less time than it had taken him to catch them. Sageclaw briefly wondered whether Foxflame had caught all of her prey, too.

The tom stopped what he was doing as the thought crossed his mind. He hadn't seen the ginger she-cat all morning, not even before he'd left camp. And he hadn't noticed her presence during Streamstar's announcement, either. He knew that hunting was getting very hard, but the day was nearly through. Surely that amount of time was a bit excessive, especially since Foxflame was probably a better hunter than he was?

Worry tugged at him like a nagging gust of wind, but he forced himself to push the uneasy feelings away. 'I don't know why you worry about her so much,' he scolded himself. 'She doesn't need your protection. She's a fully grown she-cat, for StarClan's sake!' He attempted to shove the niggling worry to the very back of his mind, but knew it would be impossible to forget now.

After he'd collected all of his prey (thankfully, none of it had been lost), he started to pad slowly back to camp. He was in no rush, despite how quickly the sun was sinking. It wasn't like there was anything back in camp that he was looking forward to. Perhaps if Foxflame was there, he would've returned to camp faster, but he still didn't know where she was.

'No!' Sageclaw mewed aloud. 'Stop worrying!'

He hastened his pace on the way back, hoping that he might find a distraction to take his mind off Foxflame. But there was none, just the continuous swaying of the trees, and the strong scent of water that tainted the land he would never come to call home. How much easier catching his prey a day would be if he had a thick, dense canopy above him, and a lush tangle of undergrowth beneath his paws.

Sageclaw emerged through the bushes that opened up into the camp entrance. Just before him, there was a slight, well-trodden piece of ground that separated the camp from the streams and meadows. Here, the cat scent was so strong that it was almost overwhelming. He sighed, thinking about the prey in his mouth that he most likely wouldn't be able to eat.

Suddenly, he heard a twig snap.

The tom's ears pricked up. The noise had been far too loud to be any normal piece of prey stepping on a twig. That sound was louder, heavier, and somehow urgent. He looked around curiously, searching for where the noise had come from.

And then it came again. Another twig snapped, louder this time. Coming from his right. Sageclaw turned so that he was facing the right way. This sound was followed by a voice, one of a she-cat that he recognized well.

Foxflame! She was here! Sageclaw felt some of the weight lift from his chest. She was okay. He'd known that his worrying had been unnecessary.

He was just about to pad over to where he'd heard Foxflame's voice arise from, when to his surprise, another voice met his ears. Sageclaw stopped dead in his tracks. This was one was deeper, the voice of a tomcat. One that was unmistakably RiverClan. He couldn't make out to whom the voice belonged; all he knew that was that Foxflame was alone in the forest just outside the camp. With a RiverClan tom.

Sageclaw stepped forward, trying to listen in on the voices without being found out. They were close - he could tell that, but he needed to get closer in order to hear them clearly. He edged nearer into the bushes, and then paused to listen again. _Who is with her?_ A hundred questions rushed through his head like wildfire. _Is she in danger?_

And then, he started to pick up their conversation.

'-ou sick-minded fox-heart! I'm not doing anything you say!'

'Oh, yes you will, if you know what's good for you.'

'I know perfectly well what's good for myself, and it's certainly not _you_.'

Sageclaw's eyes widened. What were they talking about? It sounded like Foxflame was being threatened! He resisted the urge to dash forward and intervene, but managed to prevent himself from doing so. Foxflame, ever the independent she-cat, wouldn't appreciate him stepping in to help her just yet, as though she weren't capable of handling herself on her own.

'And besides, you're a RiverClan cat. You destroyed my Clan!'

'That wasn't my decision.'

'But you were part of it! You fought in the battle! I _saw_ you killing my Clanmates.'

'Oh, come now, Foxflame. You know I mean you no harm now.'

At this point, Sageclaw just felt confused. _That voice sounded like he was... purring._

'Shut up, you mangy piece of-'

'Come on, Foxflame. Just do what I want you to.'

'Shut up!'

'Foxflame, you know I love you.'

 _What?!_

Sageclaw backed away from the sounds of their voices, his eyes alight with confusion. His blood felt like it had turned to ice. His heart beat furiously against the sides of his chest. _That tom just said that he loved her!_

In the moments that followed, all logic and reasoning seemed to completely desert Sageclaw. He had no idea what to do, or what to say. He was completely and utterly at a loss. He couldn't go ahead and stop whatever was happening. He didn't even know how to.

Quickly, without further consideration, he turned and dashed away from the bushes where he knew Foxflame, and whoever that tom was, still stood. He ducked through the camp entrance and into the clearing, gasping desperately for breath. Making sure none of the RiverClan warriors were suspicious of him, he rushed across the camp and into the slaves' den, away from the prying eyes of his masters.

 _What does this mean?_ he thought. _What was happening? Was Foxflame consenting to that?_

 _Should I have left her there?_

Instantly, he regretted his decision to leave the scene. Foxflame could have needed his help. She could have been in trouble. But he hadn't been able to act accordingly. He'd lost his head.

Stiffly, he glanced up, looking through the slave den and back out into the camp. He wished that Foxflame would appear through the entrance, reassuring him that she was okay.

Something white dropped down, just in front of his view of the entrance. And then another. And then another. It had started to snow.

Leafbare had finally caught hold of the lake in its frozen grip, and all Sageclaw felt was a terrible sense of dread.

* * *

 ** _[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]_**


	9. Chapter 8: Eaglefang

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER EIGHT

Eaglefang was lost in thought as he padded over to the medicine cat den. Due to the thick blanket of snow covering the ground across camp, each step made his paws feel numb. He wished he could have stayed back in the slaves' den, and huddled into the cozy feathers of his nest to keep warm. For once, he found himself actually feeling envious of Palewhisper, who hadn't been given a job that morning. Though he definitely didn't feel envious of anything else in the she-cat's life.

Ever since he'd nearly lost Palewhisper out on the moors, he had been making doubly sure to keep one eye on her at all times. She seemed to appreciate the attention, as it seemed to give her an added sense of security, albeit false. In a way, it made Eaglefang feel safer, too. The knowledge that his friend was safe and well comforted him.

But no matter what he did to try and make Palewhisper better, he knew there could only be a limit to her happiness. Her nightmares stubbornly refused to ease up on her. Eaglefang was confused about why they kept on repeating themselves. Before he had become a WindClan slave, he'd never heard of a cat receiving the same exact nightmare for nights on end. It was most certainly strange, but the message Palewhisper had told him out on the moors was stranger still. The words echoed in his mind - _the past is drenched in blood, but the future is pale as light._ Eaglefang had tried to figure out what it meant, but after a while, he'd given up. Nevertheless, he still worried about it, and sometime in the future, he knew that he'd have to find out the truth behind Palewhisper's nightmares.

He began to walk quicker, picking his way through the freezing snow toward the medicine cat den. Looking out over the camp, he could see that it was deserted. There were a few imprints of paws in the snow where the patrols had left earlier that morning, but mostly, the cats of WindClan had decided to stick to their dens, which he found completely understandable due to the weather.

When he reached the den, Eaglefang's thoughts trailed over to Ryesong. The last time he had spoken to the medicine cat was when they'd gone out to collect herbs, nearly a moon ago. In truth, he'd been trying to avoid her since then, and probably, it was much the same for her. Without dwelling on it any longer, Eaglefang edged his way inside. His nose was greeted by the expected pungent smell of herbs, and although the den had a gently soothing, almost welcoming atmosphere, it did little to protect him from the merciless cold outside.

Ryesong sat over to one side, staring up at the roof of the den. He could tell that her eyes were screwed tightly shut, and her tail was wrapped neatly over her paws. When she heard him enter, however, the medicine cat spun around. 'Oh!' she mewed in faint surprise. 'It's you.'

Eaglefang eyed her warily, wondering whether she was angry or annoyed at him. But if she was either, she didn't show any sign of it. 'Yeah,' the slave muttered. 'Sandpelt sent me. Apparently, you need help with something?'

Ryesong nodded. 'I do,' she replied, gesturing for the tom to come closer. 'There's just a few herbs I need assistance sorting out.'

Eaglefang padded over awkwardly. He'd thought Ryesong would be less friendly and more hostile toward him, especially since he hadn't exactly been cordial to her when they'd last spoken. But then again, she was a medicine cat. Perhaps her kindness extended beyond his status as a slave?

Somehow, he doubted it.

Ryesong promptly explained that she wanted him to sort out any of the unusable herbs from the ones that were still fresh. Although she needed all the herbs she could get her paws on in leafbare, it was pointless to keep hold of any that were too stale or damaged to properly work. Eaglefang began to search through the piles of strong-smelling plants, looking for anything was dying or already dead. Instead of just letting him do all the work on his own, the medicine cat joined in as well. They didn't talk, but Eaglefang enjoyed the quiet. It wasn't like he wanted to speak to her anyway.

So he was strangely disappointed when the dark brown she-cat eventually opened her mouth. 'Are you two okay?' she asked suddenly.

Eaglefang didn't divert his concentration from his work. 'What do you mean?'

'You and the other slave,' Ryesong mewed, hesitating a little. 'I don't know what her name is. Are you both alright?'

The tom felt like she was intruding a stretch, but didn't bother telling her that. 'There's nothing "alright" about our lives just now,' he responded bluntly.

'Yes, of course,' she replied hastily. 'But I meant on a more... medicinal level.'

'No,' Eaglefang lied. 'There's nothing wrong.'

Unfortunately, Ryesong wasn't at all fully convinced. 'I'm sure that's not entirely true,' she stated matter-of-factly.

'And what makes you think that?'

'Because I know when a cat is ill,' she replied. 'Every day your friend comes out of her den in the morning like she's just fought the whole of the Dark Forest single-pawed.'

For a moment, Eaglefang remained silent. It had never crossed his mind that Palewhisper's condition might've been noticed by any other cat in WindClan. Ryesong's interest had taken him by surprise.

Quickly, he carried on working. 'Why would I tell you anything?'

'...Because she might need help, and I can tell that you care about her,' Ryesong murmured.

Instantly, Eaglefang became more aggressive, his pelt prickling. 'It's none of your business,' he growled.

'It most certainly is.' The medicine cat lifted a torn, brown-tinged feverfew leaf from the herb pile and tossed it aside. 'As much as you'll hate to admit it, you're a WindClan cat now. It's my responsibility to make sure every cat in WindClan, yes, even the slaves, are fit and healthy.'

'I'll _never_ be a WindClan cat,' Eaglefang retorted.

Ryesong frowned, before turning to face him. Her expression gave away her impatience. 'Then what Clan do you belong to? ThunderClan? The Clan that no longer exists?'

The tom's tail batted angrily against the side of his flank. 'ThunderClan _does_ still exist!' he insisted. 'As long as I'm here to keep my Clan's memory alive.'

She shook her head. 'Your loyalty is astounding,' she rasped, 'but foolish. Such words will get you killed.'

At this, Eaglefang turned to face her, too. He was shaking a little now, and bristling uncontrollably. He hated the fact that Ryesong's expression remained blank and still. Was she _trying_ to provoke him? She must've been, and if so, she had clearly succeeded. 'Are you threatening me?' he hissed.

'Not at all,' she snorted. 'It's merely a warning. Do you think Gorsestar or Sandpelt would appreciate you denouncing their Clan like this? I don't think so.'

'Then what are you saying?' Eaglefang returned.

Slowly, the she-cat glanced around, checking to make sure that nobody else was within earshot of the den, before leaning closer. 'Look, all this arguing, is pointless. I can help you, and your friend.'

'How?' he demanded.

'I sense that there's more going on in your friend's head than she realizes, let alone understands,' Ryesong answered. 'Has she been having nightmares recently? What about?'

Eaglefang tried to speak, but the words got stuck in his throat. His heart pounded like a storm was raging inside his chest. _How does she know?_ he thought desperately. _How could she possibly know about Palewhisper's dreams?_

The tomcat backed away from the medicine cat. 'I'm not telling you anything.'

All Ryesong did was stare back. He thought he caught a hint of desperation in her eyes, too, a desperation to know the truth. She opened her mouth, but Eaglefang spoke up again before she could say a word.

'The job's done, isn't it?' he grumbled, looking at the now sizable pile of dead leaves that they'd created. 'I can go now.'

She seemed very reluctant to let him leave, and for second, he thought Ryesong might keep him back. But thankfully, she eventually nodded slowly. 'Okay,' she murmured. 'You can go.'

Eaglefang dashed out of the den faster than the medicine cat could blink. The freezing cold snow made the feeling of numbness in his paws return, but he would've done a lot more than just walk out into the snow to get away from Ryesong. He couldn't believe that she had even guessed there might've been something wrong with Palewhisper. It set him on edge. _If Ryesong knows, then does the rest of her Clan know, as well?_ he thought. _Are they spying on us, watching our every move?_

Of course, he knew deep down he was just being paranoid. It was beyond unlikely that the rest of WindClan even cared that one insignificant little slave was having bad dreams, and they couldn't have been spying on them; he and Palwhisper would've noticed it by now if they had. But somehow Ryesong had known, no matter how impossible it may be.

Eaglefang decided to head back to the slaves' den. There weren't any other jobs for him to complete, and for once, it was he who needed comforting. Although he didn't think Palewhisper would be able to provide him with the reassurance he craved, the presence of a friendly and familiar face would be comfort enough. He pushed his way through the heaps of snow, which seemed to have even grown larger from the last time he was outside, until he made it to the den.

Inside, Palewhisper was lying alone in her nest, curled up into a ball of soft, pale white fur. Her eyes were firmly closed and she appeared to be fast asleep. The sight of the she-cat looking so peaceful made him stop in his tracks. He'd been intending to tell her straight away about what Ryesong had said, but to do that, he'd have to wake her up. And doing that would've been almost cruel considering how little sleep she had been getting as of late. Making sure not to make too much noise, Eaglefang padded over to his own nest, where he too sat down and curled up. The tom tilted his head, a small smile overcoming his somber expression as he watched Palewhisper sleep.

Suddenly, Eaglefang found himself thinking about the past. His mind took him back to ThunderClan, in the forest where he had grown up. He and Palewhisper were about the same age. When he'd been three moons old, she had just been born. He didn't remember much about her mother or father, other than the fact that her mother had been Clan leader, but he remembered things about her. They hadn't really been friends. Her shyness had always gotten in the way of them forming any strong friendship, however, he had to admit that he'd enjoyed her company regardless. She was a nice cat, but he tended to hang out with the other toms when he was an apprentice. Eaglefang had never really known how to act around she-cats, even after he became a warrior.

Not that Palewhisper evoked any feelings of nervousness inside him, as only one she-cat had ever done that to him. His first crush, he recalled, had ironically been upon the ThunderClan medicine cat at the time, Willowflight. She had been fairly close friends with Palewhisper, but Eaglefang had grown out of his feelings for her by the time he was a warrior. However, he'd always admired Willowflight's classic beauty. Sometimes, he did so even now.

He knew that it was stupid and mouse-brained to be thinking about such trivial things like who his first crush had been on in times like this, but at the moment, Eaglefang didn't care. All he wanted to do was imagine that the attack had never happened in the first place, and that he was in fact back in ThunderClan. Palewhisper was simply enjoying an afternoon doze in the warriors' den, and he was waiting to go out on a border patrol, perhaps with the she-cat, even. They'd laugh and joke with their Clanmates on the patrol, and indulge themselves in a mouse or two while they were at it. There would be nothing better.

Now that all of those small things were gone, Eaglefang realized just how much he'd taken them for granted. That easy sense of normalcy back in ThunderClan, once so commonplace, was no more. He was left with nothing but painful memories and nostalgia for what his life used to be, and what it could have been.

'What are you thinking about?'

The small, groggy voice caused him to sit up again. Palewhisper, though still curled up in her nest, had one sky blue eye open and was eyeing him with sleepy interest. She looked relaxed, but Eaglefang cursed himself for waking her up. _Seriously?_ he scolded himself. _Finally she was asleep and you had to ruin it?_

'Sorry, Palewhisper,' he mewed, getting up to his paws anxiously. 'I woke you up, didn't I? I shouldn't have even come inside in the first place-'

'No, no,' Palewhisper cut him off, waving off his excuses with a dainty flick of her tail. 'I woke up on my own. I'd been asleep for a while, actually.'

Eaglefang's ears pricked up. 'You were?'

'Yes,' the she-cat nodded. She rolled over onto her front and let out a long, contented sigh. 'It feels like I haven't slept as well as that in moons.'

'That's because you haven't.'

She looked over at the tom, before twitching her whiskers warmly at him. 'No,' she chuckled. 'I guess you're right.'

Eaglefang couldn't help but feel shocked that Palewhisper seemed so... well, so normal. He hadn't seen her act so freely, or in some ways playfully, for a long time. It was encouraging, indeed that she hadn't had the nightmare again, but also due to how refreshed she seemed. Everything about her looked rejuvenated. Her pelt appeared to have a fresh new gleam to it, and her eyes were bright and cheerful. The smile on her face when she looked at him was infectious, and sure enough, he found himself smiling back at her. But then, he remembered what he had come back into their den for.

'Palewhisper,' Eaglefang murmured, as he padded over and sat down beside her. 'There's something I have to tell you.'

Instantly, the she-cat's smile disappeared from her face, giving way to an uneasy seriousness. 'Yes?'

Just as he was about to repeat everything that Ryesong said to him earlier, he hesitated. Eaglefang still didn't feel like it was right to tell Palewhisper about it yet, even more so now that she seemed to have discovered what a happy mood was.

But the tom was saved from having to make a decision when the shape of another she-cat burst into the den. 'Hey, you two,' their sudden visitor snapped. 'You're coming with us for an assignment.'

Eaglefang's eyes narrowed in frustration. The olive-colored she-cat's name was Morningflight, a WindClan warrior. _Fox-dung!_ he cursed angrily. _Just as I was about to tell Palewhisper!_ But in some ways, he was relieved that he'd been interrupted. It meant that he didn't have to worry about troubling the she-cat now, at least, not until whatever this assignment was had been completed.

'What assignment?' he asked, glaring at the WindClan cat boldly.

Morningflight rolled her eyes. 'It doesn't matter what the assignment is,' she shot back coldly. 'Just that you have to do it, slave.'

She turned around and stomped out of the den, her head held high. Eaglefang snorted, before nudging Palewhisper with his muzzle. 'Come on,' he muttered. 'Let's go.'

Palewhisper nodded, the smile now completely gone from her face, as though it had never been in the first place. She got to her paws, and it struck the tom that although she looked better, there was still something undeniably frail about the way she stood. He disliked the idea of taking her out onto the hills again after what had happened last time, but he didn't have a choice now, did he?

Eaglefang led Palewhisper out into the snow and over to join the other WindClan cats who were going out on the mystery assignment. An apprehensive feeling came over him when he saw the deputy, Sandpelt, standing with Morningflight and the other warriors, as well. _If the deputy is here,_ he thought grimly, _it must be pretty important._ They stopped beside the group, about a fox-length away from them all. They weren't really part of the patrol, and so he thought it best for both of them, taking into account how they were all looking at the two slaves.

'Right,' Sandpelt announced. She licked her paws coolly. 'I know I don't need to tell you about the situation with RiverClan, but this is vitally important for the Clan's safety.'

 _Oh,_ Eaglefang thought knowingly, _that's what this is about._ Two sunrises ago, the patrol that hunted in ThunderClan's territory had come back to camp more furious than they usually were. They'd said that RiverClan had demanded more prey than they should have been given, which only added fuel to the fire of hostility that was burning between the two Clans. That, combined with the RiverClan scents the WindClan patrols had picked up along their border, was beginning to worry Eaglefang. He hadn't scented anything unusual himself, but apparently many of the patrols had come back reporting that a RiverClan cat had been catching prey in their territory. The whole idea of one Clan catching prey for another had been a disaster waiting to happen in the first place, but combined with the usual tensions of leafbare and now prey-stealing, the slave was sure the argument would likely escalate into a fight of some kind. He just hoped that it wasn't as big as the conflict promised.

'Gorsestar and I agree that prey-stealing of any kind during leafbare is not acceptable,' Sandpelt declared, stalking back and forth before the group of WindClan warriors she'd assembled. It was like she was rallying them. 'We also agree that we would rather this quarrel with RiverClan was ended peacefully. A fight in the middle of leafbare could be disastrous for the both of us.'

The warriors nodded to each other, concurring with their deputy.

'That is why,' she continued, 'Gorsestar and I see discovering the identity of the cat who is stealing prey to be a foremost issue that must be addressed. He ordered for me to get you all together, so that we can search the border for any scents that may give us an idea as to who the culprit is.'

'Sandpelt!' Morningflight called out. 'How can you be so sure that it's just one cat who is behind the prey-stealing?'

The pale yellow she-cat's ears twitched. 'We can't be certain,' she replied honestly. 'But Gorsestar says that he doesn't believe Streamstar would order her warriors to take part in something as serious as this. She's normally reluctant to get involved in any kind of altercation, and as you'll recall, it took Ravenstar some convincing to get her Clan to agree to the attack on ThunderClan.'

A barbed hiss escaped Eaglefang's throat. _I'm not sure any leader who helps destroy an entire Clan can be regarded as peaceful._

A number of warriors seemed to think Gorsestar and Sandpelt's conclusion was wise, but it struck Eaglefang that not all of them did, Morningflight included. They didn't have a chance to voice their dissatisfaction, though, because Sandpelt had already begun to lead them on their way out of camp. As he and Palewhisper followed after them, he noticed that the pale she-cat was shivering.

'Are you cold?' he whispered into her ear worriedly.

Palewhisper shook her head. 'Not at the moment,' she murmured back.

Sandpelt halted just as they'd exited the camp. At the top of the hill that the WindClan camp was based on, you could see out over the whole lake. 'I want you all to split up,' she commanded them. 'Morningflight, you take Thrushstrike and Dawnheart downwind, and I'll go with Harestoop and Cloudstreak down to the lake.' She spared a look at Eaglefang and Palewhisper before turning back to her Clanmates. 'The two slaves will go alone in the opposite direction.'

Eaglefang blinked in surprise that she was letting him and Palewhisper venture off on their own, as did the WindClan warriors. 'Sandpelt,' Cloudstreak interjected uneasily, 'is that a good idea? What if they run off?'

Sandpelt laughed. 'In this weather? They wouldn't get very far before they froze to death.'

As much as Eaglefang would've liked to run away and never come back, he knew what Sandpelt said was true. He doubted they'd even make their way out of Clan territory.

With that, the group split up, Sandpelt and Morningflight taking their cats off away from Palewhisper and Eaglefang as they headed out into the blistering snow. It was thicker and heavier outside the camp, and in some places the snow reached over his paws, tickling the fur of his belly with an icy touch. _I haven't got a clue how we're going to pick up any scents at all in this sort of weather,_ he thought grumpily. _Surely Gorsestar could've waited until the snow died down a bit?_

As they padded down the face of the hills, Eaglefang kept his eye on Palewhisper, ensuring that she was keeping up alright. After only a few minutes of walking, it started to become clear that she was struggling. She kept her head down, as though she was trying to hide it from Eaglefang. He hadn't a clue why the she-cat would be ashamed of showing weakness to him, but either way, he wasn't fooled by it. Eventually, he stopped and pulled her up so that she was looking him directly in the face.

'Look, Palewhisper,' he meowed gently. 'This is pointless. You don't have to hide anything from me, you know that? The WindClan cats aren't here anymore.'

Palewhisper hugged her paws to her chest. Snow coated her fur, white blending with white. 'I know,' she mumbled under her breath.

'It would be better for both of us if we walked together.'

'Okay.'

Eaglefang sighed in relief, before allowing the she-cat to come closer to him until her side was pressed up against his own. Her body made him feel warmer within mere moments, and he hoped it was doing the same for her.

His hopes were answered by Palewhisper's quiet purr. 'Thank you, Eaglefang. That's much better.'

The two of them continued to pad down the hill side by side until they started to near the RiverClan border. Making sure not to part from Palewhisper's warmth, Eaglefang lowered his nose to the ground and began to sniff, looking for any sign of scents that might belong to RiverClan. But the snow made it near impossible to smell anything. Palewhisper started to help out as well when the trees of RiverClan's territory came into sight, but she didn't pick up on anything either.

After a while of looking, Eaglefang kicked at the snow, annoyed. 'This is mouse-brained!' he grumbled. 'We're not going to get anywhere with all this snow.'

Palewhisper hardly moved. She just carried on sniffing.

Eaglefang turned around dejectedly. 'Look, we might as well go back to camp and meet up with Sandpelt and the others. I doubt they've found anything, either.'

He started to pad away, trudging through the trail they'd created in the snow on their way down the hill, when suddenly, Palewhisper's voice came back at him.

'Eaglefang, come here!' she shouted excitedly. 'I think I've found something!'

Eaglefang stopped in his tracks. 'What?' He twisted around and ran back to where Palewhisper was standing. She looked like the outline of a cat more than a real one, noting how her fur blended in with the snowy white ground.

'Just there,' Palewhisper mewed, pointing with her tail down at the ground just below her.

Eaglefang glanced at her, before craning his neck down and sniffing at the snow there. His eyes lit up immediately. There was a scent! It smelled strongly of RiverClan, but also of something else that he couldn't quite place, something strong and vaguely familiar. But the RiverClan scent in it was undoubtable.

But then, his blood ran cold when he picked up one other thing mixed in with the scent. The smell of dead prey.

Palewhisper hadn't realized the significance of what they'd discovered just yet. She was still excited about her finding like an apprentice gushing over her first catch. 'We can go back and tell Sandpelt what we've found,' she bubbled. 'And then we can-'

Quickly, Eaglefang interrupted her. 'No!' he exclaimed. 'Palewhisper, we can't tell anyone about this.'

'What?' she questioned, confused. 'Why?'

'Because if WindClan do find more solid evidence that RiverClan have been stealing prey, it could lead to war,' he told her. 'This is big, Palewhisper, and a lot more serious than I thought.'

The she-cat's blue eyes widened. 'War?'

'Yes, Palewhisper, _war_ ,' he repeated sternly.

He knew it would strike a nerve. He saw the memories flash before her eyes immediately. Once again, Palewhisper had been thrown back to the very night of the attack, in ThunderClan. He wanted to help her, to snap her out of it, but he also knew that it wouldn't do any good.

He shook her shoulders again. 'We have to go back to camp now,' he mewed, trying to make his voice sound firm. 'And you cannot tell a single cat, Palewhisper, not under any circumstances. Alright?'

The resurfaced memory of the attack seemed to have changed her completely. 'Yes, Eaglefang,' she replied absently.

Eaglefang sensed that she hadn't taken in much of what he'd said, but he couldn't do anything about it now. He just had to get them back to camp, and out of the snow. It was driving him crazy.

As they trudged back up the hill, Eaglefang forced himself to take his attention away from Palewhisper and think about the scent. It was bothering him for some reason. The smell had evidently belonged to a RiverClan cat, but the fact that there was another scent mixed in with it made him suspicious. But he was worried as well, and a bit scared. The consequences of a large conflict in leafbare, as Sandpelt had underlined to them back at the camp, would be severe. They were strained for food already, and despite the fact that RiverClan had the streams for fish, he assumed that they were struggling as well. Many of those brooks would have frozen over by now, anyway.

And if war broke out between RiverClan and WindClan, would ShadowClan be pressured into getting involved as well?

Sandpelt and Morningflight's patrols hadn't returned from their search yet, but Eaglefang didn't bother to wait for them. Palewhisper needed to be somewhere warm, and that was his first priority. He led the way back into the WindClan camp, which was still mostly empty. Only one or two cats had dared leave their dens in this weather.

He ushered Palewhisper back toward the slaves' den, but just before they reached it, he stopped them both. This was his opportunity to tell her about Ryesong.

'Palewhisper,' he began, 'about what I was saying in the den earlier...?'

But Palewhisper wasn't listening. Her eyes looked blank, filled with the same empty expression he'd seen when she'd wandered out onto the moors a few sunrises ago. Eaglefang's heart sank. Whatever improvement he'd seen in her condition before they'd left on the assignment seemed to have disappeared completely. She wasn't ready to hear about Ryesong yet.

Sadly, he nudged the she-cat back into the den, hoping to just get this miserable day over with.

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_


	10. Chapter 9: Smoketalon

**SLAVES  
**

CHAPTER NINE

Smoketalon watched as Aspenpaw groomed his matted grey pelt. It was approaching sunhigh, although he wasn't sure if he could actually call it that considering the distinct lack of any sun. It had been awhile since they'd seen any now, ever since the snow had started to fall, in fact. The pine trees, much unlike the trees found across ThunderClan's territory, kept their leaves all year round, meaning that their branches were able to take most of the brunt of the leafbare weather. Nevertheless, the ground was still coated in a thin layer of snow, and the air had a biting chill to it. Smoketalon shivered. As he'd learned all too well in his first few moons as a slave, their den didn't exactly provide flawless protection from the cold.

By now, the cuts that Aspenpaw had received in his training session with Wolfpaw had, save for a scar on his left shoulder, healed completely. If a ShadowClan cat had seen the apprentice, they wouldn't have known he'd ever been wounded. It was good that Smoketalon didn't have to worry about him anymore, but whenever one problem sorted itself out another seemed to become all the more apparent. After he'd snapped at Aspenpaw for his friendly conversation with Tanglepaw, the small grey tom had been giving him the silent treatment.

At first, he'd toyed with the idea of apologizing to the young tomcat, but then decided against it. _It's not my fault,_ Smoketalon thought disinterestedly. _He just needs to swallow his pride and admit that he was in the wrong._

Aspenpaw finished up his grooming by licking the dirt and grime from between his claws, before stretching out in satisfaction. A hint of the tidiness that Smoketalon had come to expect in the apprentice's fur had returned, although it was still a bit matted.

'Your wounds are looking better,' the black tom meowed gruffly.

Aspenpaw didn't respond. The only sign he gave that he'd even heard the older tom was the slightest shrug of his shoulders.

Smoketalon's eyes narrowed at this. 'I said that your wounds were looking better,' he repeated, trying to tempt a reaction, but once again, it was like the apprentice had failed to hear him. He didn't like the way that Aspenpaw was acting. No matter how much the younger cat frustrated him, he had started to become a cat whose company he valued highly. There wasn't really anyone else he could have a reasonable conversation with in ShadowClan. Not only that, but he served as a reminder. A memory of a time when things were so much better for the both of them.

Smoketalon started to speak again, but suddenly, Aspenpaw got up to his paws. 'Sorry, I have to go,' he muttered curtly. 'One of the warriors said I'd be needed for a patrol yesterday.'

Smoketalon's body stiffened in annoyance. _Really?_ he thought. _When I'm about to talk, he decides to remember about a job?_ His paws itched; he was tempted to tell Aspenpaw he was being a mouse-brain, but didn't think the apprentice would take too kindly to an insult. He didn't want to give him another reason to make things awkward.

'Well, go on then,' Smoketalon replied, trying to keep the disapproval from his voice. 'You don't have to ask me for permission.'

Aspenpaw nodded, before quickly turning around and padding out of the slaves' den. The jet-black tom couldn't help but feel a little suspicious as he disappeared from view. The fact that he hadn't mentioned which warrior had ordered his presence, or even what type of patrol it was, raised a few questions in Smoketalon's mind. He wondered if the so-called "job" had just been an excuse to get away from him. Surely Aspenpaw wasn't that upset with him?

He shook his head. It was utterly ridiculous to be pondering on issues like this. He didn't need the apprentice; if anything, the young cat was just an inconvenience to him. But if he was right about one thing, it was that the ShadowClan cats would probably have jobs for him to do, too. Smoketalon stood up and glanced through the entrance of the den out into the camp. There weren't very many cats sitting around the fresh-kill pile, and as usual, Ravenstar was nowhere to be seen. He assumed that the majority of the Clan were out in the pine forest, hunting. The amount of prey caught had significantly declined since the start of leafbare.

He stepped out into the snow, all too aware of the hunger in his stomach. What Smoketalon would've done for a nice, plump squirrel or mouse right about now.

'Hey, slave! Get over here.'

The loud voice came from the area around the warriors' den, where a cat whom he recognized as Nightwhisper was standing. Smoketalon groaned. He had known that a job would be inevitable, but he only wished that it hadn't come so soon. Reluctantly, he picked his way through the snow over to the warrior, coming to a stop when he reached him. There was something unnerving about the black tom's piercing yellow eyes, and his pelt was spotless compared to his own. The relation to Ravenstar was obvious.

'We're going out to collect some bedding for the elders,' Nightwhisper instructed. He sounded grumpy, and incredibly unenthusiastic. 'Deputy's orders.'

Smoketalon nodded wordlessly, but as soon as Emberheart was brought up, even just in passing, his head started to spin. He was beginning to notice more and more just how clearly ShadowClan weren't happy with their deputy. For almost all of his orders given, there was some kind of backchat. The apprentices lacked respect toward him, especially Wolfpaw. He even recalled that Ivynose had appeared spiteful on the matter. Smoketalon thought about asking Nightwhisper why that was, but he held his tongue. It probably wouldn't get him anywhere.

Nightwhisper led him out of camp and into the forest, padding nonchalantly across the frosted ground. Smoketalon watched from behind. He moved in a strangely elegant way, with the grace and confidence of a cat who thought that he owned the lake, and carried himself with dignity. There was next to nothing of the cruel, arrogant aura that emanated from his brother, Ravenstar. Somewhat oddly, it crossed Smoketalon's mind whether the warrior might've been a good choice for deputy, especially since he was related to the ShadowClan leader.

'Right,' Nightwhisper grunted. 'This is the spot.'

They had arrived in a clearing full of boulders. They were covered in moss, perfect for the bedding that the elders would require. The trees parted above, and when there was adequate sun, its rays would reflect off the smooth surface of the rocks, warming them up. When he was a kit, Smoketalon had heard stories about a place called Sunningrocks back in the ancient forest of his ancestors, which had been full of stones similar to this. But now, in leafbare, they looked damp and wet. He glanced at the ShadowClan warrior doubtfully.

'Go on, then,' Nightwhisper commanded, tapping his claws on a nearby rock, waiting. 'I haven't got all day.'

Smoketalon's eyes narrowed. 'Alright!' he snapped, a barbed hiss escaping from his throat. 'It's just bedding. It's not like the elders will die without it.'

He sensed that his sarcastic comment would have been treated a lot more harshly had he not turned away before a retort could come. With Nightwhisper's cold yellow eyes trained upon his back, he began scraping the moss from the stone it clung to, without much eagerness. It was indeed as damp as it had looked from a distance. He didn't think the elders would enjoy it in their nests very much.

'Hurry up,' Nightwhisper called out impatiently. 'Emberheart said that he wanted me to collect the elders' moss by sunhigh.'

Smoketalon looked up at the sky. It was past sunhigh already, more evidence to suggest that Emberheart's orders were disregarded faster than they should be. Even more so than that, it sounded like Nightwhisper was implying that the deputy had wanted him personally to fetch the moss, not for him to order some slave to get it.

'Why do all you ShadowClan cats seem to hate Emberheart so much?' Smoketalon demanded boldly. 'No one ever seems to obey his orders properly.'

He fully expected to hear a scathing remark back, or perhaps just a warning for him to get on with his work, but instead, Nightwhisper held his gaze. There was an element of curiosity in their depths. 'You're a lot more... outgoing, than I thought a slave would be,' the black tom mewed slowly. 'You certainly have more fight in you than I'd anticipated after the battle.'

The reference to that horrible night, as usual, made Smoketalon's ears burn, but he was getting better at controlling himself. 'Well, I'd be a pretty pathetic warrior if I just gave up, wouldn't I?' he returned.

Nightwhisper chuckled darkly. 'Yes, I suppose you would be,' he muttered. 'And in answer to your question about Emberheart, it's because he's a fox-hearted coward. The kind of cat that doesn't deserve to be in a position of power in this Clan.'

The slave tilted his head to one side. _A fox-hearted coward?_ he thought. _Why's that?_ He opened his mouth, about to take advantage of the situation and ask for more information, but Nightwhisper had clearly had enough.

'That'll be enough moss,' Nightwhisper decided, gesturing toward the small pile Smoketalon had collected. 'We can go back to camp now.'

The ShadowClan warrior twisted around and padded away from the rocks into the denser undergrowth, back in the direction of the ShadowClan camp. Smoketalon cursed under his breath, wishing that he'd managed to pry more information out of Nightwhisper, but he couldn't dwell on it for too long. He gathered up all his moss and dashed after him, following his scent trail back through the trees. All the while, his mind kept falling back to Emberheart, trying to figure out a reason why he would be considered a coward among his Clan. He remembered, before ThunderClan had been destroyed, Emberheart always seemed to be quite popular; at least, that was the impression he got whenever their paths crossed. In fact, it was only after the battle that things had started to change, it seemed.

When they got back to camp, there was a much stronger scent of cat in the air. Nightwhisper ordered Smoketalon to take the moss to the elders, which he did, dropping it just inside the entrance to their den for them to pick up later. He couldn't see Aspenpaw, so he assumed that the apprentice had gone back to the slaves' den. Smoketalon was just about to pad back over to the den as well, when suddenly, a group of ShadowClan warriors burst in through the camp entrance. Their leader, the large white tom Bonefur, seemed alarmed. He turned, whispering in forcibly hushed tones with the other cats on his patrol, before sending one of them over to Ravenstar's den, apparently to inform their leader of something.

Smoketalon's ears pricked up in interest. Something was going on, something of enough importance to get a ShadowClan patrol riled up. He wasn't that far from the patrol, so quietly, he edged a bit closer until he could just about hear what they were saying.

'-you don't think it's too serious, do you?' one of the warriors was saying.

'I sure hope not,' a russet brown she-cat called Duskwing replied.

'Relax, it could easily be nothing,' Bonefur rasped, although he didn't look at all convinced. 'Maybe the WindClan cats we overheard were just gossiping about RiverClan-'

'Then why were they mentioning prey-stealing? And why did they seem so angry?' Duskwing whispered back.

Smoketalon's eyes widened. _Prey-stealing?_ he wondered. _Are RiverClan stealing prey? From WindClan?_ He leaned in closer, desperate to hear more, but the group had moved further away from him. He could tell they didn't want to make a scene of it, but they had thought it was serious enough to go and tell Ravenstar.

He glanced up at the leader's den. The cat who'd gone inside still hadn't come out yet. Would the ShadowClan leader come out and say something to the Clan? Smoketalon doubted it. Just overhearing one Clan wittering on about prey-stealing probably wouldn't be enough to panic a cat who always seemed so calm and collected as Ravenstar, but it must still be the slightest bit worrying for him to hear, regardless. Did this mean the two neighboring Clans could be on the verge of a battle?

Smoketalon began to pad way from the group, not wanting any of the ShadowClan cats to realize he had been eavesdropping. It probably wasn't nearly as serious at they'd made it out to seem, but prey-stealing in leafbare wasn't good for any Clan. And besides, it really wasn't any of ShadowClan's business, but this was Ravenstar. Smoketalon had learnt through previous experience that the ShadowClan leader _relished_ the very idea of war.

Shaking his head, he made his way into the slaves' den, hoping to see Aspenpaw inside. And thankfully, he did. The apprentice was curled up into a tight ball in his nest. He appeared to be asleep, but Smoketalon knew that he was faking it from the sound of his breathing.

'Hello?' he called, nudging the young cat with his muzzle. But Aspenpaw didn't move. Evidently, he was still ignoring him.

Smoketalon grunted, but didn't pursue the matter. He knew he would have to clear up the tension between him and the apprentice at some point, but now wasn't the time to do so. He padded over to his own nest and settled down. Hopefully, they wouldn't get any other jobs for the rest of the day. A nap sounded like a good idea at this point.

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_


	11. Chapter 10: Sageclaw

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER TEN

It had been two sunrises since he'd abandoned Foxflame with the mysterious RiverClan tom, and still, Sageclaw had yet to forgive himself. On the rare occasion that he wasn't hunting for prey, or carrying out a job, he'd always find himself wondering if there was something he could've done differently. Perhaps he should have shown himself and made sure the tom, whoever that foxheart was, wasn't doing anything wrong. Of course, a part of him knew that he couldn't really have done much else. If another slave had come and told the RiverClan warrior to back off, he would've just gone to Shellstorm and reported it for disrespect, and Sageclaw was dreading the day he or his fellow slave received a punishment from _him._

Either way, he still wanted to apologize to Foxflame somehow, or at least ask her if there was anything he could do to help. Strangely though, whenever he tried to get near her she would always be leaving for a patrol, or something along those lines. It was frustrating. Sageclaw was perfectly aware that he and Foxflame were far from best friends, but he'd hoped she would have the sense to at least to talk him, considering he was the only cat she _could_ talk to without being verbally slaughtered.

At the moment, Sageclaw was standing just beside the entrance to the camp. There was a large group of RiverClan warriors nearby, all waiting to be assigned to their respective patrols. Organizing them was Shellstorm, who never passed off an opportunity to showcase his authority to the Clan. He spoke loudly, his arrogant voice ringing out to every cat in the clearing, even those who weren't preparing for a patrol. Although Sageclaw had decided it long ago, his feelings were now official. The RiverClan deputy was his least favorite cat around the entirety of the lake, and that was really saying something. He hated a lot of cats: Ravenstar, Gorsestar, even Emberheart, but Shellstorm was the worst.

But what was most odd was how no one else seemed to feel the same way. All the RiverClan warriors treated him with respect, his leader had honored him with deputyship, and he had a kind and beautiful mate in Reedshade. If Sageclaw was to be quite honest, he envied the grey tom. Why was it that a cat so cruel could have such a great life, when someone like himself suffered?

He diverted his gaze away from Shellstorm, hoping that he wouldn't be ordered to join a patrol. As usual, he'd finished his hunting as early as possible so that he'd have more time to relax afterward. But this time, he wasn't going to waste it. He was determined to get an explanation out of Foxflame, whether it was one that he liked or not. The she-cat was still in the slaves' den. As soon as she emerged, he'd go over and confront her.

But until then, Sageclaw had to stand out in the snow, shivering like a frightened rabbit. The leafbare weather was only getting worse. It was still snowing daily, and the streams were beginning to freeze over. But today appeared to be an exception. For once, the sun was out, and the ice coating the brooks had partially melted, although a large amount of the snow still remained. It was nowhere near the end of the the season though, so he assumed it would start to snow again soon.

Suddenly, he saw a flash of dark ginger fur from across the camp. He got up on his paws just as Foxfame appeared from their shared den. There was the usual look of annoyance on her face as she gave her chest a few swift licks, before padding over in his direction. Sageclaw's eyes brightened a little. Had she finally seen some sense and decided to talk to him?

'Foxflame!' he exclaimed. 'I've been meaning to talk to you for ages.'

'Well, it'll have to wait,' she grumbled impatiently. 'Beetlenose wants me to join his patrol.'

 _Really?_ Sageclaw thought. _She has to go on another patrol?_ He opened his mouth to ask if there was a way she could get around it, but she just shook her head and barged past him, moving toward the group of RiverClan warriors by the entrance.

But the tom wasn't going to let her go so easily this time. He whipped his tail around the she-cat's shoulder and pulled her back toward him, which earned him a hiss in return. 'Stop,' he growled. 'This is important.'

'What's the matter with you?' Foxflame snapped. 'You're always wittering on about keeping a low profile-'

'Just listen, for StarClan's sake!' he interrupted. 'I heard you with-'

'Is there something wrong?'

The brash voice made Sageclaw freeze mid-sentence. Stiffly, he turned around to spot Beetlenose, the cat who'd assigned Foxflame to his patrol, watching them carefully only a few rabbit-lengths away. His ears were twitching with undisguised scorn. Behind him, a number of warriors on his patrol had turned to look as well, including Shellstorm.

When neither of the slaves said anything, the black tom spoke again. 'Well?' he asked patronizingly. 'What's going on?'

'Nothing,' Foxflame replied. 'My _friend_ here was just stopping me from going on patrol.'

Beetlenose rolled his eyes. 'You can save whatever pathetic gossiping you want to do for later,' he snorted. 'Hunting takes priority, slave.'

The RiverClan warrior spun around and padded back to the waiting patrol to lead them out of camp. Foxflame muttered something under her breath, probably of a sassy tone, before following after them.

Just before she went out of earshot, Sageclaw made sure to hiss at her, 'I still have to talk to you. I'll meet you in the slaves' den after you've finished.'

Foxflame ignored him completely. He doubted that she'd even heard him by the way she padded away. The last thing he saw of her was her tail, disappearing out of the camp.

Sageclaw closed his eyes with a sigh of frustration. It seemed that every cat in the Clan was trying to get on his nerves at the moment. Shellstorm, Foxflame, who next? The tom sighed. The longer he was left in the dark about what was happening to Foxflame, the more infuriated he was going to become. He would never admit it to her, but he appreciated Foxflame's company. She was the only cat whose company he actually wanted nowadays.

He was about to head back over to the slaves' den when he felt a paw tapping him on the shoulder. A sinking feeling entered his gut instantly, because he knew exactly what was going to happen next. _I swear, if I have to do one more job today after this, I'm going to kill myself._

With clenched paws, he turned to look at the cat who was trying to get his attention. It was a she-cat he wasn't too familiar with named Dappleheart. She was wiry, with a small frame and a dappled glossy pelt typical of RiverClan.

'I'm here on direct orders from Shellstorm,' she grunted warily. 'He says he wants you to go and find his mate.'

 _Reedshade?_ Sageclaw wondered. _Why doesn't he just go and find her himself?_ Sageclaw didn't bother asking Dappleheart the question, since he knew wouldn't get anything meaningful in return, but it certainly seemed odd.

'And where am I supposed to find her?' he asked.

She shrugged. 'Don't ask me. I'm just the messenger.'

Sageclaw's eyes widened in disbelief. Did Shellstorm seriously think that he would be able to find a cat completely on his own across the whole of RiverClan territory, without any clues as to where she was? He wanted to snap at the she-cat, and tell her what he thought of her so called "orders", but she didn't even give him a chance.

As Dappleheart abruptly padded away, the tomcat cursed in his mind. _Well, that's just brilliant! So first of all, Foxflame decides she wants to avoid me again, and now, I'm sent off on a flying squirrel chase to find a cat who is probably drowning somewhere in the lake for all I know._ He felt like kicking something, or preferably someone. Hard. Usually, he never got this angry, but when things were going against him so much he couldn't help it.

Somehow, Sageclaw could sense eyes staring straight into his back. He could guess who they belonged to, and indeed, he was right. The deputy's eyes were narrowed down to slits, daring him to question the order. He felt a burning desire to do exactly that, and show the grey tom that he couldn't just boss him around like this. But it was hopeless. If he so much as protested, Shellstorm would make mousemeat of him.

Swallowing his pride, Sageclaw padded past the spot where his tormentor was standing. His claws sheathed and unsheathed themselves like they had a mind of their own. He kept telling himself there was no point, but the thought of fighting and beating Shellstorm was incredibly satisfying, if unrealistic. An image crossed his mind, of his claws at the arrogant tom's throat, gloating about his fine victory against the strongest cat in RiverClan. Oh yes, that would be sweet.

The territory outside the RiverClan camp was picturesque. Rare beams of sun flowed down from the sky, bathing the trees in golden light. It reflected off the snow-covered ground, making the individual flakes glitter. Sageclaw continued out through the entrance tunnel, allowing his daydream to continue for a few blissful moments, before coming to a halt just as the undergrowth began to thicken. Compared to the density of what had once been ThunderClan's forest, it still seemed to lack the cover he preferred for hunting. He stared straight down at the ground as sunlight streamed onto his chest. Just one moment of peace and quiet was all he needed to regain his cool. It had been lost scarily quickly.

But when he tried to think about the job he'd been sent out to do, his mind went blank. _I have to find Reedshade... I think._ He considered it, before nodding. Yes, he was certain, but how exactly was he meant to find her? Shellstorm had sent him out without any useful information. He hadn't even mentioned where she'd been last. _Why has he entrusted me with this kind of task? Reedshade is his mate!_

Slowly, Sageclaw lowered his nose to the ground and sniffed, searching for any evidence of the she-cat's scent on the wind. He could smell Foxflame's patrol, strong and fresh, but nothing that belonged to Reedshade. He hadn't expected to pick up her scent straight away, but still, it had been worth a try. He padded forward, making his way slowly around the area, all the while taking in the scents of the surrounding shrubs and bushes. Nothing.

He continued on like this, picking his way around trees and other plants. His paws crunched loudly in the compact snow, startling away whatever prey might be around. If Sageclaw had been hunting, he would've been much more careful not to draw attention to himself, but it didn't matter at all now that he was looking for a cat. As he searched, the brown and white tabby went through everything he knew about Reedshade in his head, which wasn't very much. He'd only spoken to her once, when he'd been carrying out an order from Shellstorm. The memory, although short, was surprisingly clear. It hadn't been his proudest moment. She'd defended him against her own mate, telling him to stop his taunting about the attack. Why she'd done that, he still didn't know.

Sageclaw recalled her words at the time. ' _Please, Shellstorm! Don't treat him so harshly, at least not this time. For me.'_

Eventually, the tom came to the edge of a line of short trees. The surrounding plants had begun to give way to reeds as he neared, and the ground had become increasingly marshy, telling him that he was approaching a stream. He poked his head through a gap in the branches to see that he was right. Just in front of him, a wide but shallow channel of water flowed toward the lake downstream. To his surprise, it wasn't frozen. This sudden burst of sunlight in leafbare appeared to have benefited RiverClan greatly. He craned his neck, wondering whether any fish would be swimming in the water below. There was, and a great many in fact. Shoals of minnows swam close to the surface, along with the occasional juicy-looking trout. Sageclaw was just about to pad nearer to the bank, when with a jolt, he realized another cat was already there, a few fox-lengths to his left. He leapt back into the cover of the bushes in surprise. The shock passed through him quickly, however, when he realized who it was.

Reedshade sat by the water's edge, staring into the ripples of the stream. Her body was completely still, and her eyes were unblinking. Sageclaw felt bewildered by her lack of movement. He stepped a little deeper into the undergrowth so as to further conceal himself from view. _What's she doing?_ he wondered.

There were a few moments of silence where nothing happened, then suddenly, a movement in the water upset the calmness of the stream. With it, the she-cat's eyes twitched and she leaned over the water's surface a little more. It was at this point that Sageclaw realized what was going on. Reedshade was fishing.

Instantly, his ears pricked up with interest. He had only seen a RiverClan cat fish once before, and it had been incredibly brief. Learning to fish would be extremely helpful in his hunting, and this could be the perfect time to get an idea of how to do it. With all the importance of his job forgotten, Sageclaw shifted himself to get a better view of what the RiverClan she-cat was doing.

The first thing he noticed was that Reedshade positioned herself in a way that her shadow wasn't cast over the water, so that it wouldn't disturb the swimming fish. Sageclaw made a mental note of it, just as the tabby she-cat began to move her paws closer to the water. Her claws were unsheathed, and her muscles were tensed with anticipation. The tom also saw that her pale eyes were fixed on a single fish in the water. A trout.

Suddenly, Reedshade stopped what she was doing and frowned. She glanced over her shoulder, right toward the patch of shrubs where Sageclaw was hidden. He blinked. Surely she wasn't able to see him from there?

The tense quiet continued, before finally, she turned back around and re-concentrated her attention on the prey. Sageclaw breathed out a sigh of relief.

But now, Reedshade wasn't going to let anything distract her. The trout was still swimming in exactly the same place. It had hardly moved due to the current upstream. He assumed that it made the fish a sitting duck. Surely, if she just reached into the water she'd catch it? Nevertheless, she continued the odd staring contest, still not moving, still not speaking.

Then suddenly, a splash echoed out across the bank. Sageclaw looked on in shock as Reedshade's curved claws shot into the water with the speed of lightning, hooking the trout up into the air. She dropped into a crouch, before leaping up and catching it in midair, closing her jaws around the helpless prey. It flapped and struggled around in her mouth for a moment, until she bit into its neck, killing the fish instantly.

There'd hardly been time for Sageclaw to blink. It was all over so quickly, and similar to him, the trout hadn't been able to react in time. The efficiency of the process was impressive.

Reedshade purred loudly, dropping her catch on the ground beside her. She licked the moisture left from the hunt off her paws, before grooming her whiskers happily. The slave couldn't help but appreciate how attractive she looked for a second, with the rays of sunlight spilling down onto her striped pelt. Yet another reason to feel aggrieved toward Shellstorm.

Once she'd finished grooming, the she-cat turned her head back in the direction of the trees. 'You can come out now, whoever you are,' she called out. 'I know you're there.'

Sageclaw winced. _Mouse-dung,_ he thought, _how did she see me?_ He looked around his paws, checking to see if he'd accidentally broken any twigs, but they all appeared intact. Despite himself, the tom remained still, hoping that Reedshade was somehow talking to a different cat.

But when the she-cat stepped forward again and repeated herself, he decided it was pointless. Slowly, he stepped out of his hiding place and into the sun. Reedshade's eyes widened as he did so.

'You!' she mewed, sounding surprised. 'What are you doing here?'

Sageclaw shuffled his paws awkwardly. 'Looking for you,' he told her truthfully.

She tilted her head to one side, as though unsure why he'd be doing anything like that, but then it seemed to dawn on her. 'Shellstorm sent you, didn't he?'

He nodded slowly. For some reason, Reedshade's voice had turned frosty at the mention of her mate.

The she-cat sniffed, padding closer until she was within a fox-length of him. 'Why didn't he come himself?' she asked.

'I don't know,' Sageclaw replied. 'He didn't even give me the order himself.'

'That sounds typical of him.'

'It does?' From what he'd seen of Shellstorm so far, he certainly didn't look like a cat who would shy away from giving an order, more like one who relished it.

She sighed. 'Well, at the moment, anyway.'

Sageclaw frowned. _What's she talking about? At the moment? What does that mean?_ He wanted to ask her, but somehow he doubted that she'd want to tell a slave about it. Instead, he kept his mouth shut.

Reedshade shook herself and looked up. The cheerful expression on her face was clearly forced. 'So, why were you watching me?' she questioned.

'I told you,' he meowed. 'Shellstorm sent me to find you.'

'Then why did you stay hidden for so long?'

'It doesn't matter.'

'Maybe not for you,' Reedshade retorted. 'But I'd prefer to know why a strange tom that I've only met once was watching me through a bush.'

'I wasn't stalking you, if that's what you mean,' Sageclaw mewed coldly. His tail thudded on the ground at the suggestion.

'Then why?' she demanded, glaring at him. Sageclaw gazed back, forcing himself not to blink. He didn't want to be the first to look away, but he sensed neither did she.

Finally, it was he who gave in. 'If you must know, I was trying to find out how you catch fish,' he admitted, glancing down at his paws.

Reedshade didn't say anything, although she looked like she wanted to. Sageclaw couldn't tell what she was thinking, and he didn't dare try to figure it out. He carried on avoiding any eye contact.

Eventually, she down on her haunches. 'You still don't know how?' she mewed, softer this time.

The tomcat raised his head. He hadn't expected her to say something like that. There was a sympathetic look on her face, one that seemed a little out of place, but all too familiar.

'No,' he muttered, feeling ashamed that he didn't. How pathetic a warrior he must look to her, enslaved by her Clan, unable to catch something as simple as a fish.

Sageclaw hoped that she'd drop the matter after that, but unfortunately, she didn't. The she-cat reached forward and nudged him with her muzzle, her whiskers twitching kindly. 'I can show you how, if you want,' she offered.

He looked over at her incredulously. _What's her problem?_ he thought. _Why isn't she like the other RiverClan cats?_ Her attitude confused him. There was no other cat in RiverClan he'd met who was like her. She had willingly defended him against her own mate, and now this? It was like she didn't understand that he was a slave.

'Why would you do something like that for me?' he asked suspiciously.

Reedshade looked at him, bemused. 'I'm just trying to be nice...' She hesitated. 'I know not many other cats are to you, so I might as well be.'

Sageclaw searched for any sarcasm or hostility that may have been in her eyes, but all he saw was genuine sincerity. It had been a long time since he'd seen anything like that from a cat, let alone one from a different Clan. It struck him that Reedshade must be quite naive. A slave didn't receive that sort of kindness from anyone. That just wasn't how things were.

But there was no way he was going to pass up an opportunity to learn to fish. A skill like that would help him immensely.

'Okay,' he decided, getting to his paws. 'Teach me.'

Reedshade stood up as well; this time, the cheerfulness didn't look forced. 'Great!'

The she-cat trotted back over to the stream, where she stopped and gestured for him to look into the water with her. Sageclaw followed her warily, still not entirely convinced. She may have been friendly to him, but he still didn't trust her. Not one bit.

Upon closer inspection, the stream was deeper than he'd thought. If he stood in the middle of it, the water would've reached up to his shoulders. But it was pristine, and still full of fish. Apparently unperturbed by the killing of the trout, they swam through the current carelessly, close to the clear and untouched surface.

'The first thing you need to do is pick a fish,' she informed him. 'Don't concentrate on a large group, just focus on one, and since you've never fished before it's probably best if you start off small.'

Sageclaw looked out over the amount of prey before him. After a moment, his eyes settled on a small minnow in the shallows a fair distance away from the rest of its shoal. He nodded at Reedshade, telling her which one he'd chosen.

She leaned in closer to whisper in his ear, 'Good. Now, you have to be patient. Get as close to the stream as possible, without disturbing it. If it notices something is wrong, it will swim away faster than you can say fish.'

He registered her words silently, before creeping closer to the water's edge. Sageclaw remembered how unmoving Reedshade had been when he'd watched her fishing earlier, and he tried to imitate her posture. The minnow kept moving, completely oblivious to the cats above it. He stopped just before the tips of his paws touched the water, where he glanced back at his teacher.

'You saw me earlier, right?' she whispered again. 'Getting the technique just right takes some time, but it's fairly simple to explain. It's all about speed. Lower you paw to the surface, and before the fish notices, scoop it out with your claws. Don't bother trying to catch it in the water - the most important part is just getting it onto land, and then killing it is easy.'

Sageclaw stared at the minnow, before reaching out until he was just above it. Still, the fish didn't notice him. The anticipation made him shiver.

Then, Reedshade broke the tension. 'Now!'

He shoved his paw into the water, a little ungracefully. Without hesitation, the minnow began to swim further into the depths of the stream. He hooked his claws upward, trying to scoop it out like Reedshade had instructed him to do, but within moments, his prey was already gone. He'd missed his catch.

Sageclaw withdrew himself, shaking off the water droplets that had splattered over his pelt. The tom pounded the ground in frustration. 'Foxdung!' he cursed angrily. 'I nearly had it!'

Reedshade just shrugged. 'I didn't expect you to catch something your first time,' she explained. 'Fishing is very difficult to master. It takes some cats moons to get it right, but for your first attempt, that wasn't bad. You just needed to be a bit quicker.' She flicked him with her tail. 'Try again.'

They carried on practicing fishing for a long time, until the brief hours of sunlight had passed. The sky returned to its usual grey color of leafbare, and whatever heat may have been present disappeared completely. Reedshade was a friendly but efficient teacher, and she did her best to ensure that Sageclaw learned everything he could and always suggested ways for him to improve. However, Sageclaw still felt skeptical of her true motives. There must have been another reason for her help a slave, but whatever that might be, he was grateful for it. Time passed swiftly, and he found himself edging closer and closer to catching a fish, yet they still managed to escape his grasp every time. He was convinced he was going to catch a minnow, at least one, by the end of the day, but he had no such luck. It was well after sunhigh when Reedshade stepped back from the stream.

'I think that's enough for now,' she mewed, glancing up at the sky. 'Shellstorm will probably be worrying about me.'

Sageclaw's eyes narrowed. He wanted to carry on, but he knew that Reedshade was right. He could come out and practice fishing another time, but the job he'd been assigned needed to be completed. Dipping his head in agreement, the she-cat took the lead in heading back to camp.

As they padded through the undergrowth, Sageclaw found himself looking at the RiverClan warrior curiously. Her brown and white pelt was smooth, and had the sheen of a cat who took pleasure in their appearance, but she didn't boast the swagger of someone like her mate. There was a shy air about Reedshade, a naivety that he'd picked up on earlier. It was almost like she wasn't aware of how attractive she was. It was colder now, and the snow beneath their paws crunched louder than ever, but that didn't seem to bother her. If there was one thing he'd learnt today, it was that she was certainly the most friendly RiverClan cat he'd met so far.

Slowly, the she-cat turned her head to him upon noticing that he was looking at her. Was that a hint of a blush on her cheeks? 'You're watching me again,' she mewed, sounding embarrassed.

Sageclaw blinked. 'Sorry,' he apologized, diverting his gaze from her.

They followed the path back that Sageclaw had used to find her. His scent was easy to pick up, and soon enough, they found themselves at the entrance tunnel to the camp. Something cold landed on his nose, and he glanced up at the sky to see that it had started snowing again. Only lightly, but it was inevitable that it would get stronger.

'Well,' he finally meowed, addressing Reedshade. 'Thanks for teaching me about fishing. I really appreciate it.'

She twitched her whiskers at him warmly. 'No problem.'

The she-cat began to pad toward the tunnel, leaving him standing on his own. Suddenly, he remembered a question he'd intended to ask her.

'...Wait a moment!' Sageclaw called out. 'Just one more thing.'

Reedshade paused and twisted around to look at him again. It struck him that she looked hopeful. 'Yes?' she mewed.

'Why didn't Shellstorm just come out and find you himself?' he inquired. 'He is your mate, after all.'

Instantly, her face fell. 'Oh...' she mumbled, looking uncomfortable.

'It's fine if you don't want to tell me,' Sageclaw added hastily, more out of politeness than anything. He really wanted to know. 'It's just that it seems a little strange for him to ask a slave to do it, don't you think?'

Reedshade whisked her tail along the ground nervously. 'I guess it would,' she replied. 'It's nothing important though. Shellstorm and I just had a bit of a fight.'

 _Did you now?_ The thought that the deputy's love life wasn't going as perfectly as he'd assumed made Sageclaw want to smirk. He had to force himself not to. 'I'm sorry,' he apologized, hiding his glee.

Luckily, Reedshade didn't seem to notice. 'It's not your fault,' she answered, shaking her head. 'I'm sure you know how Shellstorm is by now. He's very controlling.'

At this, the tom felt a prickle of interest tugging at his side. He wondered what she meant by that. Of course, he knew that Shellstorm liked control and authority better than anyone, but was he like that to his mate as well? He recalled their previous encounter. Even then, they had been quarreling over something.

Reedshade coughed. She was clearly desperate to change the subject. 'You know, we still haven't been formally introduced,' she stated matter-of-factly. 'I'd like to know your name.'

Now, it was Sageclaw's turn to feel uncomfortable. He tapped the ground with his front claw. 'I don't see why you'd want to.'

'Oh, come on,' Reedshade begged, her pretty eyes widening imploringly. 'After everything I've done for you today, you won't even tell me that?'

He grunted, trying to keep a straight face, but he couldn't help feeling guilty. She was right. Reedshade had just revealed something personal to him about her mate, and it seemed churlish not to at least answer this one simple request.

'Fine,' he sighed. 'My name is Sageclaw.'

Reedshade nodded. 'It's been a pleasure to meet you, Sageclaw,' she meowed, sounding pleased.

For some odd reason, the tom felt like something was slipping through his paws. He wanted to ask her another question, one that was right on the tip of his tongue, but it wouldn't quite come out. In the end, he just watched as the she-cat slipped through the tunnel and into the camp.

He followed her inside a brief moment later. He didn't want any RiverClan cats to suspect that he and Reedshade had been talking together, since it was fairly obvious that they wouldn't approve. The camp looked eerily different than it had the last time he'd been there, when all the dens had been bathed in sunlight. The snowflakes, which were already getting larger as they came down, offered a sharp contrast. Sageclaw made his way over to the slaves' den, as he'd grown accustomed to doing, and peered inside. He was hoping to find Foxflame there, but the ginger she-cat was nowhere to be seen.

'Stupid RiverClan fishbrains!'

The sharp, easily recognizable voice echoed in his ears. Quickly, he turned around to find Foxflame padding away from the patrol she'd just finished. He stood up quickly, alert and ready. Finally, he had a chance to confront her.

'That was one of the worst patrols I've ever been on,' she grumbled as she stalked toward him. 'They literally did nothing. Usually, at least one of them has the dignity to do _some-'_

'I need to talk to you,' he interrupted mid-rant. 'And this time, if you have any other jobs, you can tell them to go and eat dirt.'

Foxflame stopped and looked at him strangely. 'StarClan, what's up with you?'

'Nothing's up with me,' he told her. 'What's important is what's up with you.'

The ginger she-cat merely rolled her eyes. 'Look, whatever it is, I'm really tired at the moment.'

Sageclaw ground his teeth together. He couldn't be bothered to wait any longer. 'I heard you two sunrises ago, with the tom,' he stated bluntly.

Foxflame froze. Her musty yellow eyes widened to the size of moons, and her mouth dropped open in shock. For what had to be the first time in her life, she was genuinely speechless. Sageclaw, on the other paw, felt like cheering until his voice went. _Finally, I have her attention!_

He glanced over her shoulder, just to check that no RiverClan cats were listening. When he looked back, he saw that Foxflame's lip was trembling. He was taken aback by the sudden rush of emotion in her eyes. Apprehension, confusion, but most prominently, fear.

'I don't think-' she stammered. 'I don't think we should talk about this with everyone watching.'

Sageclaw quickly stepped aside and let her pass into the slaves' den. He recognized that the she-cat wasn't in a very good state, despite her show of audacity. She must've been bottling everything inside her for sunrises now, and him finally mentioning it to her was a signal to let it all go. Feeling a sudden burst of sympathy, he ducked into the den after her.

Foxflame went straight to her nest and sat down, staring blankly at the aging feathers around her. Sageclaw moved his own a little closer. The cat who was usually so proud and confident appearing this downcast was a gut-wrenching sight. He wanted to reach over with his tail and tilt her head up again, and tell her it was alright, even if it wasn't.

'Foxflame,' he whispered, struggling to keep his own voice calm. 'Do you want to tell me what happened?'

She sniffed, before pulling herself up in her nest and glaring at him. Her face was still contorted with sadness, but it was good to see a flash of her usual fieriness. 'I'm still not sure it's any of your business,' she snapped.

Sageclaw almost laughed. 'You can't be serious. Just take me through it, Foxflame.' He paused. 'I know we don't always see eye to eye, but I think of you as a friend. Even if that feeling isn't mutual.'

For a moment, he thought that he actually saw her smile. 'Nope, it definitely isn't mutual.'

Sageclaw smiled back, but Foxflame's sigh made him stop. 'It's been going on for a while, actually,' she admitted, 'ever since we came here that first moon. It started off as just a weird conversation, but it got worse. A lot worse. Two days ago, he cornered me when I was coming back from hunting. How much did you hear?'

'Most of it,' he replied.

'Then you'll know that he's a complete creep, and a foxheart at that!' she snarled viciously, bitterness edging her tone.

Sageclaw found himself not wanting to ask her, but knew that he had to. It just couldn't be kept secret any longer. 'Foxflame, who is the tom?'

The ginger she-cat remained silent for a moment, her ears flattened against the sides of her head. But then, she seemed to give in to her resolve.

'It's Shellstorm.'

* * *

 ** _[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]_**

 **A/N: Hey, Cotton Candy Mareep here! Just wanted to let everyone reading this know that my own continuation of Claudaujay's fanfic (starting with chapter 16) will be posted later this weekend as I'm just finishing up some last revisions, so until then I'll just post the rest of his chapters here real quick over the next day or two leading up to the new chapter. I figured it would be easier to have the story all together in one place, and also wanted to give readers enough time to find this. Sorry it's taken me so long, there was just a _lot_ of planning and outlining to do for this story, especially with 3+ different points of view each with their own problems to sort out, and I wanted to make sure I got it just right! Plus, I wanted to thoroughly reread each of these chapters myself so I could get a good feel for the characters and Claud's writing style, in the hopes that my updates won't feel like such an abrupt change, if that makes sense. **

**\- CCM**


	12. Chapter 11: Eaglefang

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Palewhisper's expression was solemn. Although she sat upright in her nest, it struck him that she looked more asleep than anything else, with her eyes closed and her ears twitching like they were. The she-cat hadn't noticed him at the entrance yet, and Eaglefang didn't see it necessary to disturb her. He was only checking up on her, after all.

The brown tom had just finished up another job, clearing out the dirty bedding from the nursery. It hadn't been very fun; the queens were even snappier than usual, worried about the threat of disease that leafbare always brought. One of the kits had been taken to Ryesong with a fever, which could easily develop into whitecough. After finally satisfying them, Eaglefang had decided to make sure that Palewhisper was alright.

He sighed. It was mouse-brained that he was even here. Surely Palewhisper could survive a few heartbeats without him... right? There were times when the she-cat looked as fit and healthy as any cat, and others where she hardly looked sane at all. For the latter, it was often after she'd just woken up, as bad dreams still kept her sleepless.

That was what bothered him the most. Eaglefang had realized by now that these were no ordinary nightmares. To be this frequent, they had to be the result of a greater, more divine power. A sign from StarClan, perhaps? A damning message from the Dark Forest? A prophecy of sorts? And of all cats to burden with visions, why Palewhisper? Surely she had suffered enough from the attack already.

Ryesong was preying on his mind as well. It was almost as though the medicine cat were toying with him. She knew something about the dreams, more than she'd told him the last time they'd spoken. She claimed she could help them, but Eaglefang didn't trust her. He didn't trust anyone from WindClan at all.

Palewhisper still hadn't moved. He continued to watch her silently, strong emotions resonating within his body. He felt helpless, knowing that he couldn't help her nearly as much as he'd like to, and bizarrely, a little guilty. Only StarClan knew why.

The tom dragged his gaze away from his fellow slave and looked back out toward the camp. The snow beneath his paws crunched as he turned, cold and rough to the touch. Eaglefang couldn't spend much time dwelling on his own issues. He still had work to do, in particular, collecting prey for the elders.

Shaking himself, he started to pad across the clearing toward the fresh-kill pile, hoping that the job would serve as an ample distraction from his thoughts. It was striking how little prey was left, with just a few scrawny rabbits making up what was increasingly dubious to be described as a "pile". Eaglefang selected two medium-sized pieces, deciding that giving the elders anything too stringy would be seen as an insult. They were old and much crankier toward him than the ThunderClan elders had ever been, although that was partly down to large and unspoken reasons.

It seemed that the job had proven itself as a distraction after all, maybe even too good of one. The tom didn't notice the out-of-place scent until he was right at the entrance to the den. As soon as it hit his nostrils, he withdrew in disgust. The revolting smell had taken him by surprise. It tasted of dank, dark and dusty things and places. But it wasn't just that. There was something else, just as sinister, lurking in the air. He couldn't tell what it was, but the first scent? Oh yes, he knew that was, and all too well now. The scent of death.

For a moment, Eaglefang was too taken aback to react. His paws had gone numb, though he wasn't sure whether it was down to the ominous scent or simply the cold. He sniffed again, just to check that he wasn't crazy, but the horrible smell was unmistakable. Someone inside the elders' den was dead.

He didn't know what to do. Should he call for help? Alert Gorsestar or Sandpelt? Eaglefang opened his mouth to do just that, but then, something else occurred to him. There were only two elders in WindClan, and one of them may still be alive. One of them might need his help. Ryesong would probably know best as to what to do in this situation, but Eaglefang felt a bizarre responsibility to help the elders. No matter how much he hated WindClan, it was part of the warrior code to protect those that were vulnerable, regardless of Clan.

He took a deep breath and peered into the den, not daring enough to step inside out of fear for what might confront him, and he was right to be apprehensive. Two cats lay in their nests, eyes closed, but Eaglefang could tell that only one of them was awake. At first he wasn't sure which was which, but then one of the them, a long and slender brown she-cat, stirred. He'd forgotten the elder's name, but he knew he had to warn her. It still wasn't clear how her denmate had died.

'Hey,' Eaglefang called gently, trying not to sound too urgent. 'Wake up.'

The she-cat grunted and rolled over in her nest, but didn't open her eyes. He raised his voice a little, but still, no answer. _For StarClan's sake,_ he thought frustratedly. _Get up!_

Eaglefang poked his nose further in and sniffed, hoping to identify what the other scent was amongst the musty smells of the den. It lingered in the air like a cloud of smoke, instinctively making his hair stand on end, but he couldn't quite place where he'd smelled it before. Either way, he knew it was dangerous, and since the mouse-brained elder wasn't waking up on her own, he was going to have to go in himself.

Nervously, Eaglefang edged his way inside. The scent of death was overwhelming to the point it made him want to vomit. He stared at the lifeless tom to one side pitifully, wishing he would just get up and tell him everything was okay. It would certainly save him an awful lot of trouble.

After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the she-cat. Tension made his legs feel weak like water. Eaglefang nudged her muzzle with his own as gently as he could. If there was one thing he didn't want to do in this situation, it was alarm her.

Then, realization struck him as suddenly as a lightning bolt. In a split second, he knew what the strange, rotting scent was. Something he'd hoped he would never have to smell again.

Unfortunately, the elder seemed to have the same idea. Her eyes widened with shock, and upon seeing the limp figure of the dead tom in the corner, it transformed into horror.

'Greencough!' she screamed. 'Branchfur is dead!'

Eaglefang winced. He should've anticipated her reaction; it was stupid that he hadn't. Quickly, he clasped his paw over her mouth in an attempt to muffle her voice, but it was already too late. Eaglefang could hear a commotion building outside. Obviously, they had heard the elder's cry. One of them called out, asking if she was alright.

The brown tom pulled the she-cat to her paws and ushered her over to the entrance. They were still in danger, and Eaglefang knew they would have to get out of the den, unless they wanted to catch the greencough themselves. A large group of warriors stood out in the snow, each trying to find out what was happening. One of them, Slatefrost, shoved his way forward, but Eaglefang blocked his path.

The warrior glared at him furiously. 'Get out of my way, slave!' he snarled.

'No,' Eaglefang retorted. 'There's greencough in there-'

'What in StarClan's name is going on?'

The familiar booming voice of Gorsestar made all of them freeze. The WindClan leader padded over with Sandpelt at his side, tail lashing from side to side. The crowd parted to let him and the deputy get through. He eyed the elder and Slatefrost warily, ignoring Eaglefang.

'Explain,' he demanded, gesturing toward Slatefrost.

The grey tom shrugged, clearly uncomfortable under the piercing gaze of his leader. 'Don't ask me, Gorsestar. We just heard screaming, something about Branchfur.'

The leader continued to stare at Slatefrost for a moment, before finally turning away from him toward the she-cat. 'What happened?' he asked, his voice a little softer when addressing the elder.

She shook her head, looking as though she might collapse if a gust of wind hit her. 'Branchfur,' she whimpered. 'H-he's dead. Greencough.'

A flicker of emotion passed over Gorsestar's face, a mixture of surprise and worry. Eaglefang didn't blame him. Greencough in leafbare was a fatal combination.

For a few heartbeats, the WindClan leader didn't move a muscle, apparently at a loss as to what to do. Sandpelt sensed her leader was struggling to make a decision, and opened her mouth to speak, but then, Gorsestar broke out of his stupor.

'Get Ryesong,' he commanded, unease evident in his voice. 'We can't do anything without her.'

The deputy nodded, and hurried over to the medicine cat's den. She returned only moments later accompanied by Ryesong, who, after being briefed on what had taken place, ducked into the elders' den. The gathered warriors watched anxiously for her verdict.

Eaglefang felt an unexpected wave of nausea come over him. He'd encountered greencough twice in his lifetime, back in ThunderClan. When he was still a kit in the nursery, one of the apprentices had caught the disease. He hadn't understood what had happened to her in the end, but the second time, it would've been better if he still didn't. Half the nursery had been wiped out, and the idea of greencough being in the same camp as he was set him on edge.

The twigs around the elders' den rustled, and Ryesong re-emerged. If her expression was anything to go by, then WindClan were in for a difficult leafbare. She whispered something into Gorsestar's ear, who then grunted and stepped forward to address the warriors.

'Unfortunately, what Chivedash says is true,' he announced gravely. 'Branchfur is dead.'

A wail of anguish echoed from the crowd, followed by shocked and fearful whispers.

'The cause of death was definitely greencough,' he added, raising his voice over those of his warriors. 'Ryesong sees it fit to close off the elders' den for the moment, in order to prevent-'

The voices of the surrounding WindClan cats rose to such an extent that the leader's speech was totally lost. Eaglefang watched on hopelessly as they shouted out in fear, faces alight with concern.

'How did none of us realize?'

'How long has he been dead?'

'What if the disease spreads?'

'We can't afford any weakness, not with RiverClan stealing our prey!'

Eaglefang glanced up at Sandpelt and Gorsestar, expecting them to intervene, but they couldn't regain the attention of the crowd. Incredulity merged with disbelief. _Had they really lost control?_

* * *

 _The scents and colors of the forest wash over her as she pads through the undergrowth. Lush green grass covers the ground, and bright sunbeams burst through the branches of the trees, spilling across her pelt and reflecting into her eyes. She blinks and looks away, but it doesn't bother her. What could possibly bother her in a place as beautiful as this?_

 _She has been walking for many sunrises now. Moons. Seasons. Walking through the forest, learning all the secrets it has to hide. She loves it, more than anything she could possibly imagine. If she is given the choice, she will continue to walk through this forest until there is nothing more to explore. And then, she will return to her camp, where all her friends and family will be waiting for her. Skystar, Willowflight, Eaglefang. Especially Eaglefang. They will be smiling, and waiting. Happy._

 _Suddenly, she comes to a halt, and breathes in the crisp forest air. It's such a beautiful day, she thinks. How lucky I am for this place to be my home._

 _Somewhere distant and faraway, a strange noise echoes. Her ear pricks up, alerting her to the sudden sound. It sounded tinny and shrill, but it doesn't come again, so she takes no notice and pads on. I'll never leave this place, she thinks. Nothing will ever take me away from here._

 _The noise comes again, louder this time, and seemingly closer. Like something is approaching. A little wary now, she turns around, staring back at the bushes behind her. She listens carefully, hoping to identify what the noise belongs to. It's changed now, like a hundred voices joined together in an angry crescendo._

 _Slowly, she begins to back away from the sound, shaking her head in denial. The noise is still increasing in volume; she can hear some of the individual voices now. They seem to be calling her name. She breaks out into a run, fleeing the unwelcome noise, the voices inside her head._

 _No, she screams. You can't take me! This is my home!_

A burning light jolted Palewhisper awake. She gasped in desperation, reaching forward for the forest once more, but it was all well out of reach. It was always out of reach.

The section of den where she lay was consumed by shadows. Only a small, limited burst of light seeped in from outside. Her nest was nestled in the corner, as it was one of the only places in the den that was still relatively warm. The rest of the space had the same biting chill as the leafbare snow. Palewhisper peered around to see if anyone else was in the den with her, but there wasn't. She was alone.

Glancing down at her side, she saw claw marks littering the earthen floor. Bits of moss and feathers lay scattered around her. She must have done it all while she was sleeping. The thought of the forest in her dreams made her close her eyes again wistfully. All she wanted to do was return to where she belonged, not stay in this cramped den. She imagined floating away, soaring as free as a bird on the wind. She imagined what it would be like to feel the grass beneath her paws for real again.

The memory of a deep shade of red entered her mind. At least she hadn't had that dream.

Shuddering violently, Palewhisper shuffled back into the remnants of her nest and curled up into a ball, tail thudding against her side. _Oh StarClan_ , she prayed silently, _can't you make them go away?_ A single glance from the bloodied cats was enough to strike terror in her heart.

She needed him now. The one cat she trusted more than anything.

'Eaglefang?' she whispered, her voice cracking. 'Are you there?'

She knew no reply would come, though through the impending silence, she finally noticed the large group of voices wafting in from the camp clearing. They sounded similar to those she'd heard in the forest. Where they what woke her up?

Stifling her whimpers, Palewhisper untangled herself from the ruined moss and dragged herself over to the entrance of the den. What seemed to be a small blizzard was blowing large amounts of snow into the air, making it difficult to see clearly. She could only just make out the shapes of a few cats gathered around the dens. They were discussing something that appeared to be of great importance. The she-cat didn't know what they were saying, and it didn't bother her. All that seemed important to her was finding Eaglefang. _Is he there?_ she thought. _Is he with the group?_

Almost as though they'd heard her, the cats started to disperse. Several of them dashed off to their respective dens, desperate to get out of the cold, whereas others padded more slowly with each other, talking in a slightly panicked fashion. Palewhisper's light blue eyes darted between them, searching for a comfortingly familiar dark brown tabby pelt.

And there he was! The cat she was looking for! Eaglefang's amber eyes glowed with an emotion she couldn't describe, but he certainly didn't look happy. She didn't care though, because she knew that when he was near, nothing could possibly trouble her.

'How long have you been standing there?' the tom asked when he reached her. 'Not too long, I hope?'

Palewhisper shook her head. 'No. I just woke up, and I wanted to see you.'

His gaze sharpened. 'It wasn't the nightmare, was it?'

Before the she-cat could answer, however, Eaglefang gave her a nudge. 'Don't worry, you can tell me once we've gotten out of the storm,' he murmured.

He led her back into the slaves' den, where she quickly retreated to her nest. The tabby tom shivered, before turning to face Palewhisper. She let the smallest smile escape onto her face, which he returned, but it disappeared when he noticed the torn moss and feathers scattered around their paws.

'You've ruined your nest,' he meowed, picking up one of the pieces with his claw.

Palewhisper pressed her ears against the sides of her head. 'I'm sorry,' she replied. 'I didn't mean to-'

'No, it's fine,' he cut in. 'It's easily fixed.'

Eaglefang twisted around and padded over to his own nest, about a fox-length away from hers. She watched as he selected some of the largest, most downy-looking feathers, and then, after he was satisfied, stepped back toward Palewhisper. He placed them around her hindquarters, helping the previously wrecked nest appear respectable again.

'There you go,' he told her, with a tiny flourish. 'Good as new.'

Palewhisper shifted, enjoying the comforting warmth that the soft new feathers provided. The small act of kindness spoke volumes to her, and she tilted her head up at the tom.

'Thank you,' she murmured shuffling closer to him. Eaglefang allowed her to rest her head against his shoulder, and in response, she began to purr softly. It was an inexplicably gentle moment. Palewhisper could feel her whole body tingling with a sensation she'd experienced all too often in this company, something she'd felt ever since her apprenticeship.

Suddenly, Eaglefang drew away. 'Palewhisper, there's something I should tell you. About what happened outside.'

'Yes?' she replied, not really concentrating. She had been too content in the moment.

He sighed. 'There's greencough in the camp. One of the elders died of it this morning.'

Palewhisper's eyes widened as his words sank in. _Greencough?_ she thought. _In the camp?_ The she-cat tried to speak up, but Eaglefang interrupted.

'There's no danger to us,' he reassured her. 'Ryseong has closed off the den so that it can't spread, and the elder who passed on has already been taken away for burial.'

'What if it does spread, though?' she whispered. 'What if it gets into our den?'

'It won't,' Eaglefang answered, pulling her closer again. 'I promise you.'

Despite the tom's strong, determined words, Palewhisper felt adamant that there was still something he wasn't telling her. That some way, some how, he was still trying to protect her. She had been aware of it for quite some time now, ever since the day they'd gone out looking for RiverClan scent on the hills. She was compelled to ask him about it, but in the end chose not to. He seemed relieved.

Abruptly, Eaglefang got up to his paws. The frown on his face reflected his sense of unease.

'I think it would be better if we both got some rest,' he muttered. 'I'm shattered, so you probably are, too.'

Palewhisper hesitated. He really didn't look too good. She knew how hard Eaglefang worked for them, so it was only natural for him to be tired, but she knew it was more than that. For the first time she noticed the sag in his posture and the droop in his tail, yet strangely, she couldn't seem to find the words to repay the favor he had always given her. The she-cat stared at her paws as he left her side, most likely to return to his own nest at the other side of the den.

After a moment's pause, she copied him, settling down into her nest. But, unlike Eaglefang, she didn't close her eyes. Palewhisper was scared to fall asleep again.

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_


	13. Chapter 12: Smoketalon

**SLAVES  
**

CHAPTER TWELVE

A single, rotting brown leaf broke off from the branch it was attached to. It drifted gently through the air, before coming to rest a few fox-lengths away from where Smoketalon sat. It lay sill in the camp clearing for several brief moments, and then, the wind blew it off to somewhere else. The last the black tom saw of it was its stalk disappearing into the forest beyond. It had been the final leaf of a tree overshadowing the leader's den, a type which he had often seen in ThunderClan's territory. Of course, it was the only one he'd seen amongst the snow-covered pines of ShadowClan's forests.

With a quick shake of his head, the tom turned toward Ivynose. The dark grey queen was "talking" about her Clanmates, though it seemed much more like complaining than anything else. Currently, the warrior Addertooth was the subject of her disapproval. Smoketalon didn't blame her for being annoyed with him, as he and Aspenpaw hadn't enjoyed the senior warrior's company in the past. Not that he particularly enjoyed any cat's company, apart from maybe his own.

Two pieces of prey were positioned at their paws, a pair of measly frogs. It was the kind of prey that after two moons, he'd been forced to grow accustomed to. Ivynose's meal was half finished, in sharp contrast to Smoketalon, who hadn't started yet. He wasn't quite sure why, as he was starving. Being a slave meant that he ate last, and indeed, usually the least. Call him picky, but despite how accustomed he'd become to it, the idea of a slimy frog still remained largely unappetizing.

'-and then, he still forgot to bring any feathers for my nest!' Ivynose rasped, shaking her head. Her rant had passed on to the equally foxhearted Wolfpaw. 'Can you believe that?'

It crossed Smoketalon's mind to snap back with, _at least you_ have _a nest_. He had to hold his tongue valiantly not to do so.

The elderly queen was about to carry on when she finally noticed the sour look on the slave's face. Her tail twitched. 'Something tells me that I'm boring you.'

He met her gaze, eyes brimming with sarcasm. 'Something tells me that you're absolutely correct,' he replied dryly.

'Oh, come now,' she chided. 'There's no need for that.'

Smoketalon felt a wave of indignation pass through him when she nudged him patronizingly. 'You sound like my mother,' he muttered.

Ivynose laughed. 'Well, wouldn't that just be something!'

The tom looked away. He still didn't know how to judge the ShadowClan queen. Usually, he could come up with a good idea of what a cat was like on a first impression, but with her, that simply wasn't the case. Even the first time they'd spoken, when the she-cat had given up her prey to him for apparently no reason, his judgement had been the same. Ivynose was lonely. Her sons, Nightwhisper and the leader himself Ravenstar, hardly ever visited or even stopped to talk to her, for reasons unbeknownst to him. It was something that he was going to have to have to figure out at some point, because one thing he could tell whenever she spoke was that _this_ was a cat who was perfectly aware of the difficulties and hardships of life. Perhaps too aware.

'Hey, frog-brain,' Ivynose called, interrupting his trail of thought. 'You don't have to sit here with me, you know. If I'm so boring, why don't you just go and find that little grey tom you're always with?'

Smoketalon very nearly smiled. If there was one thing he was certain of, it was that she must've been a real pawful when she was a warrior. 'His name is Aspenpaw,' he replied, making sure to emphasize the younger cat's name. ''And I wouldn't be sitting here unless you'd offered me that frog. _Again,_ ' he added.

She shrugged. 'Whatever. All apprentices are the same: ignorant and annoying.'

'I'm not going to argue with you on that one,' the tom agreed, shifting his paws until he was in a more comfortable position. 'Besides, he'd probably ignore me if I spoke to him now, anyway.'

Instantly, Ivynose's ears pricked up with interest. 'What, have you and the little grey tom had a falling-out or something?'

Smoketalon glared at her. 'Please, be quiet.'

She continued on as though he hadn't even spoken. 'That kind of thing seems to happen a lot with younger cats,' the queen rasped. 'Always running around, arguing with each other. They never seem to have the time to just sit down and appreciate things-'

'Look,' Smoketalon interrupted, his voice taking on a harsher tone. 'This doesn't concern you, alright?'

Ivynose appeared surprised by his sudden burst of aggression for a moment, but then she snorted. 'Take some advice from an older cat, Smoketalon - ease up a little. You don't have to be so hostile all the time, especially not with me. I'm the only ShadowClan cat who'll speak to you without giving an order, after all.'

At this, the slave laughed coldly. 'Believe me when I say I have no intention of easing up on any ShadowClan cat.'

But, although he would never have admitted it, there was an element of truth to Ivynose's words. She was the only cat who never displayed any hostility toward him because of the Clan he was born in, but nevertheless, Smoketalon still found her infuriating. He had spent quite a lot of time in her company recently. For some reason, it felt like he was constantly being told to replace old and dirty nests, which was why he was with Ivynose now, eating under the overhang of the nursery.

Once he'd finished, the tom stood up and licked his lips. 'Well, I guess you want me to say thanks for the prey,' he meowed bluntly, before hesitating. 'It feels like I'm having to do that a lot.'

Ivynose didn't say anything, though Smoketalon could tell she was thinking hard. What she thinking about most likely didn't concern him in the slightest, but the depth of her unflinching stare piqued his curiosity. _For StarClan's sake, why are you so difficult to read?_ he thought frustratedly.

Not wanting the already stretched conversation to drag on any longer, he turned around to leave, but just as he did so, Ivynose's voice echoed into his ears once more. 'Smoketalon?' she called.

He paused with a great deal of reluctance. '...What?'

'If you've fallen out with the little grey tom, then I think you should apologize to him pretty quickly.' She sighed. 'I assume that you were the one who upset him?'

Smoketalon gritted his teeth loudly. _I didn't ask for your advice,_ he thought darkly. _I shouldn't even be talking to you._ Without another word, he began to pad away, leaving the she-cat alone in her den.

As the tom padded through the camp, he made sure to stick to the edges of the dens, where the snow still didn't cover the coarse ground. The malignant burden of leafbare was beginning to weigh down every cat in ShadowClan. Prey was becoming ever more scare, with meals like the one he'd just experienced being especially rare. Every heartbeat felt like a sunrise, and every sunrise felt like a moon. It was ironic, considering it was soon to be three moons since he'd arrived. Tomorrow, in fact. If one looked up at the sky that night, the moon would be almost full, a sign of the encroaching Gathering. Just to make it worse, the other Clans had attacked on the very night of the full moon truce. The ThunderClan patrol had just been about to leave for the island.

But he had learnt by now that thinking about those memories always made things worse.

 _Fox-dung_ , the tom cursed silently. Now that Ivynose had mentioned it, the incessant reminder of the issue with Aspenpaw was only niggling more urgently at his consciousness. He didn't want to admit it, but no matter how hard a personality he had, or how hostile he acted toward others, it was terrible having the apprentice ignore him like this. Their relationship had generally always worked the opposite way, as usually, it was _he_ who acted like he didn't care about Aspenpaw. He remembered the time when he'd been injured in the training session with Wolfpaw. On the way back, he'd barely slowed down for him.

Of course, Smoketalon had his own motives for that. And those motives were why Aspenpaw dealt with his indifference before. He understood the agony he'd had to go through-

The agony that _Emberheart_ had forced him to go through.

He blinked. His pawsteps appeared to have unwillingly taken him back to the slaves' den. He knew who would be in there, and in a sense, he wasn't surprised he had ended up here. Smoketalon knew that they couldn't keep going on like this. One of them was going to have to apologize, and if Aspenpaw wasn't willing to be that cat, then... then he would just have to swallow his pride.

Taking a deep breath, the tom padded inside, ensuring that his face remained emotionless. He opened his mouth to speak, wanting to get it over with as soon as possible. In a sense, it was an anticlimax, because Aspenpaw wasn't there. His nest was empty, and although traces of his scent lingered, the apprentice himself was nowhere to be seen.

Smoketalon frowned. _He was definitely here this morning, and he didn't mention that he had any jobs to do..._

He pressed his paw down on Aspenpaw's nest. It was cold. Clearly, he'd been gone for a while, but Smoketalon hadn't seen him in the clearing while he was eating. Perhaps he'd left camp?

The slave remained still for a moment, going over the possibilities in his head. Already, though, a small burst of relief rushed through him. He could just apologize to Aspenpaw whenever he got back. After all, he wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

Feeling bizarrely triumphant, Smoketalon retreated back out into the camp. He still couldn't deny the fact that this whole matter had been caused by Aspenpaw being a mouse-brain in the first place. As such, it was ridiculous that he had to take on the responsibility of sorting out their strange relationship. It wasn't his fault.

The tom felt like he'd been trying to reassure himself of that fact a little too much lately.

'Well, if it isn't the ThunderClan _rat_ himself!'

The harsh voice ripped through the air, instantly making Smoketalon want to groan. He knew exactly who had spoken, and he'd be more than lying if he said the name made him leap with joy. Wolfpaw was stretched out opulently nearby, staring at the larger tom with a smirk on his face.

'Come out of your hole to steal some prey, have you?' he taunted loudly.

The black tom bit his tongue, finding it very difficult not to say something snarky right back. _There are many insufferable things I'd like to do to you, Wolfpaw,_ he thought, _although murder really does leap to mind._

'i would've thought taking an aging queen's fresh-kill was bad enough, but then to come back for more? That's a new low.'

 _And of course, there are many methods of murder too, each one even more lethal than the last-_

'Mind you, I'm guessing the standards for a ThunderClan cat are a lot lower than the ones for an _honorable_ cat.'

'Don't you have something better to do with your life than making fun of slaves?' Smoketalon asked with as much feigned politeness as he could muster. Finally, the temptation of making a reply had become too great.

Quickly, Wolfpaw sat up. 'I'd choose your words carefully, foxheart,' he hissed. 'I beat up your little friend, and I could easily beat you up, too.'

'Oh, so you're referring to the time you beat a younger apprentice in a training fight in which he couldn't even fight back?' Smoketalon retorted sarcastically. 'Well, I must admit, I'm really intimidated now.'

The ShadowClan apprentice's pelt began to bristle, but he didn't reply immediately. Clearly, he was slightly at a loss for words. 'I'll get you for saying that!' he blustered. 'My mentor is one of the best warriors in the entire Clan. I'll tell him what you said, and when the other slave gets back to camp, he'll punish both of you!'

That one caught Smoketalon's attention, albeit for an entirely different reason than Wolfpaw had intended. _So Aspenpaw_ did _leave camp,_ he thought. _But why?_

The younger tom took a step closer. 'Didn't you hear what I said?' he demanded. 'I _said_ , I'll tell Addertooth-'

'Thank you very much for your time,' Smoketalon interrupted, giving him a wry grin of condescending gratitude. 'You've been extremely helpful.'

He spun around and began to pad away, practically laughing at the dumbfounded expression on Wolfpaw's face. He didn't look back until he reached the entrance to the camp, whereupon he saw that he truly had left the tom rooted to the spot. _Hopefully that will teach the little fleabag not to try and mess with me again,_ he thought viciously, before padding out into the pine trees.

Somehow, it nearly always managed to surprise him how different the territories around the lake were. Forests merged into hills and hills into marshes around the enormous expanse of water, almost like StarClan themselves had carved the land out just for them. Even the two forests of ShadowClan and ThunderClan were strikingly different. The canopy of his old home had been so thick that it managed to prevent a large amount of leafbare snow from ever reaching the ground, but the pines offered a pitiful replacement to this in many parts. So much snow had fallen by this stage that the thick layer of white reached halfway up his legs. Every step became an effort, and a journey that previously might have taken a few minutes took an awful lot longer.

Smoketalon breathed in deeply. Aspenpaw's scent was barely distinguishable amongst the numerous others, but nevertheless, it was still there. It led him upwind, away from the camp and the lakeshore and instead toward where the Moonpool was. At first, it didn't bother him, but when the scent trail began to lead him away to a part of the forest he'd never been before, confusion started to set in. Where in StarClan's name had Aspenpaw gone?

At the same time, his earlier misgivings about making an apology resurfaced. He didn't want Aspenpaw to think he was a pushover, and that he could keep on doing mouse-brained things without any repercussions. That would just get them both in trouble. Although he'd only done it once, his fellow slave needed to learn the boundary between himself and the rest of the ShadowClan cats. They weren't his friends. They were his enemies.

Suddenly, the scent trail came to an abrupt stop. Smoketalon looked around at his surroundings. It appeared to be just another part of the forest. A few tall pines reaching up to the dull, colorless sky, with gnarled shrubs scattered across the earth below. So why had he stopped here? Smoketalon listened carefully for a sound that might give away Aspenpaw's location, and sure enough, a voice came.

But it didn't belong to the cat he was looking for.

Frowning, he listened again. The voice came from behind a tree several tail-lengths to his left. It was young, and undoubtedly masculine, but not the same. Smoketalon sniffed at the air again. There was Aspenpaw's scent, but hidden behind it was another that was vaguely familiar. And undeniably ShadowClan.

Now a little worried, Smoketalon rushed over to the trunk of the tree where he'd heard the voice come from. A twig snapped, followed by the fainter sound of snow being flung into the air. Quickly, he peered around the edge of the bark, apprehensive and tense.

Aspenpaw was grappling with a dark ginger tom on the ground. The apprentice was pinned to the ground, but fighting back against his opponent, trying to throw him off. Smoketalon's eyes widened. The dark ginger tom was Tanglepaw, the same cat whom Aspenpaw had been talking to! He unsheathed his claws, preparing to give the ShadowClan foxheart a first-paw introduction to just how painful his teeth could be, but then, something he hadn't been expecting happened. Tanglepaw giggled.

'Die, Aspenstar!' he yowled. 'I've got you now!'

Smoketalon watched in utter disbelief as Aspenpaw kicked out with his back legs, sending Tanglepaw flying backward. 'Never!' he shouted back. 'ThunderClan will always be superior.'

The two cats began to chase each other, laughing out loud with their eyes shining. Smoketalon realized what was happening. _Are they play-fighting?_ he thought incredulously. _Has Aspenpaw gone mad?!_

He continued to watch, not quite believing what he was seeing, as Tanglepaw began to swipe at the apparent ThunderClan leader's tail, earning him a kit-like shriek in return. He didn't want to even consider the fact that Aspenpaw could be as foolish as this. After everything he'd told him, after everything he'd _promised_ him, the apprentice had still gone behind Smoketalon's back and made friends with a ShadowClan cat. The very idea made his blood boil.

He stepped forward, ready to show himself, but for some reason, he stopped. The sight of the two young cats like this froze him in place. The glint in Aspenpaw's eyes betrayed all kinds of emotions... happiness, joy, delight. Smoketalon hadn't seen such emotion in him for so long, and even though he was responsible for the young cat's safety, he didn't feel like he had the right to interrupt such a pure moment. There was such a naivety in their faces, an innocence untouched by the poisons of the cold life they had been forced to live, and yet he knew Aspenpaw had experienced cruelty. He knew it better than anyone. And in a forest of snow and ice, their silly games were like a fire, burning bigger and brighter than the sun.

Smoketalon kept quiet for a while, allowing the two to carry on playing. For a time, the ThunderClan leader battled the ShadowClan leader, until finally, Aspenpaw was pinned once more. Tanglepaw let out a final and victorious caterwaul. 'ShadowClan have won!' he declared.

The apprentice beneath his paws erupted into purrs. 'Alright, I submit,' he laughed. 'Now get off, you dumb furball.'

Tanglepaw headbutted him gently, before allowing him to get back up. He was panting heavily. 'StarClan forgives you, as you were an honorable opponent,' he rasped, in a mock wise voice.

The two toms lowered their voices to whispers, meaning that Smoketalon couldn't make out the rest of their conversation. This was almost like a signal to him. He grunted quietly, before slowly stepping out into view, not wanting to waste any more time.

Aspenpaw didn't notice him for a moment, but when their eyes met, an unreadable expression passed over him. Smoketalon couldn't tell if he was annoyed or just simply sad. Tanglepaw was there as well, but it seemed to Smoketalon that he and Aspenpaw were the only cats in the whole forest.

The fleeting silence ended when Aspenpaw released a long sigh. 'You should probably go,' he murmured, addressing Tanglepaw.

The dark ginger tom glanced between the two slaves in discomfort, but didn't protest. He whispered a small goodbye and darted away heartbeats later, leaving the ThunderClan cats alone.

Smoketalon's tail twitched, whisking across the surface of the snow. He wondered what was the best thing to say. Uneasily, he opened his mouth to speak, but Aspenpaw beat him to it.

'You can't stop me from being friends with him,' he stated bluntly. 'Don't waste your breath trying.'

Their gazes locked again, glaring each other down. Many things were shared in their moment of eye contact, much more than could ever be spoken. Eventually, Smoketalon padded over until he was right beside Aspenpaw, and then sat down. He waited with baited breath, wondering if the movement would provoke a reaction, but when none came, he decided to speak.

'You promised me something, Aspenpaw,' he told him, choosing his words carefully. 'You promised me that you wouldn't forget what we went through. What ShadowClan put us through.'

He anticipated a response, or at least some form of acknowledgement. But still, nothing.

'A promise is meant to mean something,' Smoketalon continued. 'Surely, it isn't something you're supposed to break after a couple sunrises-'

'I didn't break my promise,' Aspenpaw snapped.

'What?'

Aspenpaw turned his head, his amber eyes full of defiance. 'I said that I wouldn't forget about ShadowClan, and I haven't. I still know they destroyed ThunderClan. Me being friends with Tanglepaw doesn't come into it.'

 _Stubborn mouse-brain,_ Smoketalon thought, exhaling through his nostrils very slowly. 'Please don't try and be clever with me,' he replied. 'I think you know exactly what you were promising.'

'And what's that?'

'Not to go around trying to make friends with every single ShadowClan cat you come across!' he growled, his voice rising.

'I haven't!' Aspenpaw returned indignantly. 'Tanglepaw is the only one I've even spoken to.'

Smoketalon shook his head and looked away. Tiny snowflakes had begun to land softly around them. It was a sharp reminder of just how cold it was in the pine forest. 'Please, at least try and listen to me. I think, at the very least, I've earned your respect.'

An expectant quiet informed him that indeed, this was one thing they agreed on.

He stared at his paws, not wanting to look at Aspenpaw. 'Friends are...' he hesitated. 'Something to be treasured. I'll give you that. But as the warrior code told us, there are some kinds of relationships that must know boundaries. This is one of them.'

'Having an ally in another Clan can be beneficial sometimes, to your own Clan and to yourself. Having anything more than a sense of acquaintance, however, is dangerous. The borders that divide us are as clear as day, and they always will be. Even if they are made murky by the mistakes of others.'

'But why?' Aspenpaw burst out. 'Tanglepaw and I aren't doing any harm. We just enjoy each other's company. It's not like we're in love or anything.'

'Of course not,' Smoketalon answered, retaining his cool. 'But you must understand there would be consequences for both of you if this continued. Tanglepaw's Clanmates would treat him differently, a lot differently, if they found out he had been meeting one of us out in the forest. They would only treat us worse.'

He coughed, all of a sudden feeling uncomfortable. 'I want to protect you, Aspenpaw. Maybe I haven't showed it very much since that night, but it's true. StarClan, that's why it's so hard for me to accept this! I feel like you're wasting it. I-I didn't sacrifice what I did for you to waste it all away like this.'

By the time he'd finished, his voice had become hoarse. Smoketalon was hopeless when it came to sincerity, but he hoped that his counterpart knew what he was getting at. Even if he'd worded it in about as clear a light as mud.

But then, Aspenpaw managed to surprise him.

The light grey tom reached forward and ever so softly, pressed his muzzle against the side of the older cat's cheek. The gesture made him go completely still. Awkwardness tainted the air, but after a few moments passed, Smoketalon's whiskers twitched, and he stiffly returned the sign of mutual affection.

'You big old mouse-brain,' Aspenpaw whispered. 'As if I didn't know that you cared about me. You've proved that a hundred times over, and I really do respect your opinion. It's just that this is a choice I've made myself. I've wanted a new friend for three moons now, and Tanglepaw is that friend.'

Smoketalon opened his mouth to chide him again, but then swiftly closed it. Something told him that whatever he said would be worthless. He wanted to protest, there had to be a way he could change his mind after all, but Aspenpaw's words had their desired effect.

At last, he shook his head in defeat. 'Fine,' he mumbled. 'You win.'

Aspenpaw looked set to let out a loud yelp of joy, but before he could do just that, Smoketalon intercepted him. ' _But_ that doesn't mean I'm going to let you walk all over me on this matter,' he warned. 'You're going to have to be a lot more careful with covering your tracks than you were today. A newborn kit could've tracked you out here.'

The apprentice flattened his ears. 'Sure, sure,' he mumbled impatiently. 'Now can we _please_ go back to camp? It's freezing out here!'

Smoketalon watched in annoyance as Aspenpaw padded straight past him, back through the trees on the path they'd taken to get there. 'Hey!' he shouted. 'I haven't finished yet.'

When the younger cat didn't even look back, he rolled his eyes and dashed through the bushes after him. The only thing he could see of his friend was the tip of his tail, disappearing into the undergrowth.

The sudden burst of adrenaline provided by their running seemed to help clear Smoketalon's mind. It had been so full of concerns and angers lately, but now, everything had been put into perspective. The weight off his chest was relieving, but worry aimed at Aspenpaw's welfare had renewed itself. He was being asked to keep a big secret, bigger than they would be able to contain for too long. But it didn't appear as much of an obstacle now that the really pressing matter at paw had been cleared up.

And to make things even better, he hadn't actually had to apologize.

When Smoketalon finally caught up with Aspenpaw, the tom had already arrived at the camp, and his whiskers were twitching in amusement. The endearing glow in his eyes from earlier had returned. 'I'm faster than you!' he exclaimed.

'Really?' Smoketalon replied, thoroughly unimpressed. 'I wonder if this claim would've been made if we'd started at the same time.'

Aspenpaw scoffed. 'Oh, lighten up,' he shot back cheerfully.

The black tomcat flicked him with his tail as he padded past, not letting him see the - albeit tiny - smile breaking out on his face.

The camp was a lot busier than it had been at the time they'd left. Nearly all of ShadowClan were mingling in the clearing around the fresh-kill pile. He glanced upward, where the leader's den overlooked the clearing. It was generally the spot where Ravenstar made all his announcements from, and the foxhearted deputy himself currently stood there, apparently waiting for his leader. _Looks like we got back just in time for a Clan meeting_ , Smoketalon thought. _Brilliant_.

Aspenpaw realized exactly the same thing as he entered straight after him. 'We'll sit down over there,' Smoketalon muttered under his breath, gesturing toward an empty space at the edge of the crowd, slightly to their left.

They picked their way through the flock of cats, who barely seemed to notice them, and allowed the two to pass through the crowd easily. Aspenpaw leaned in closer to speak to him as they did. 'Any idea what this is about?' he hissed.

Smoketalon didn't take his eyes off the leader's den. 'I'm guessing that Ravenstar is going to announce the cats who are coming to the Gathering tomorrow.'

This made the younger tom's ears prick up. 'Do you think we'll get to go?'

'Well, as they didn't take us the last time, I'd say it's highly unlikely,' he uttered. 'Besides, why would you want to go?'

They sat down with a hint of wariness. Although the atmosphere created by the ShadowClan cats around them had a unusually positive vibe, anything that involved Ravenstar would often have some kind of nervy or intimidating undertone. Smoketalon glanced around them, wondering whether the other cats were as anxious as last time, at the apprentice ceremony. Everything seemed normal at best, although the look on Nightwhisper's face, Ravenstar's brother, was intriguing. He was staring at Emberheart with unrelenting scorn.

Then, with the sound of lichen parting, the gossiping subsided. Ravenstar asserted his dominance with his usual air of calmness, bringing the crowd under control effortlessly. You had to admire his leadership, in a way. Who else possessed that kind of authority?

'The cats who are to accompany myself and Emberheart to the Gathering are as follows,' he announced, getting straight to the point. 'Pinefeather, Bonefur, Nightwhisper, Cedarheart, Whitepool, Duskwing, and Tanglepaw.'

The gathered cats began murmuring amongst themselves, discussing the choices that had been made. Their leader didn't wait for them to stop. 'In addition, both of the ShadowClan slaves will also be coming,' he decided.

Immediately, Smoketalon's eyes narrowed suspiciously. _So we_ are _going to attend,_ he thought, with vague skepticism. It seemed that the rest of the Clan had the same idea as well. They were glancing at each other in confusion; some of them even looked angry.

But of course, Ravenstar wasn't in the least bit perturbed. 'At the end of the previous Gathering, I discussed the matter privately with the other leaders, and since we couldn't come to a mutual agreement, it was decided that each Clan would choose on their own whether or not to bring their slaves to Gatherings. And since they are, _technically,'_ he emphasized this word as though it physically pained him to get it out, _'_ a part of ShadowClan, I've decided to take them along.'

Aspenpaw shifted beside him. 'As if he really thinks that,' he muttered.

Smoketalon shushed him, but he couldn't help but concur with what he'd said. Ravenstar would never do something simply out of the kindness of his own heart for any cat, let alone them, so there must've been some ulterior motive.

When, predictably, no cat spoke up to protest what he'd said, the ShadowClan leader nodded, with the faintest smirk. 'Good,' he concluded. 'That is all.'

After the black tom had given the signal that they were free to leave, no one was faster to start padding away than the slaves. Smoketalon was cold, and in need of nothing more than the consolation of his nest, Aspenpaw perhaps even more so. An early night seemed in order, especially with the new knowledge of the fact they would have to make the journey to the island the following night. Surely, the concept of going to the Gathering was supposed to be exciting, rather than one that filled him with dread.

'Life is such fox-dung at the moment,' he complained aloud.

Aspenpaw nodded. 'Yeah, sure is.' He shook out his pelt. 'But come on, we can't get too pessimistic. It will be fun tomorrow, won't it? We'll be able to see the giant oak tree again, where all the Clan addresses are made. The lake will be just like I remember it, _and_ we'll be able to see the other ThunderClan cats again! It's been moons since we saw them last.'

All of a sudden, something clicked in Smoketalon's mind, like a long forgotten stone falling into place. It was as though an extinguished light had been given new life out of virtually nothing, and was now shining bright like it never had before. It had been lying asleep and dormant at the back of his mind, waiting for the right opportunity to reawaken, and now that opportunity had finally arrived. Rebellious and glorious, it spread throughout his body, making him feel like he was floating on air. It made him stop dead in his tracks, right where he stood. His eyes widened to the size of moons. How could he have possibly forgotten it?

'Smoketalon?' came Aspenpaw's shocked yelp. 'Is something wrong?'

Swiftly, he brushed off the young tom's concern. 'No. Nothing's wrong at all.'

He tilted his head as Smoketalon glanced from side to side, checking to see if anyone unwelcome was listening, before leaning in, 'Aspenpaw, do you ever think about freedom?'

* * *

 ** _[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]_**


	14. Chapter 13: Foxflame

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER THIRTEEN

It was nearing moonhigh around the lake. Night had long since hidden the sun away below the horizon, turning the sky black. Dark menacing clouds completely obscured the light of the Clans' ancestors in Silverpelt above, the only evidence of the occasion being the full moon, which shone so brightly it seemed to be trying to make up for the loss of the stars. This could only mean one thing, of course, something that no RiverClan cat was looking forward to.

The darkness extended all the way down to the ground, where it was so acute that Sageclaw could hardly see a fox-length in front of him. The tom snorted disgruntledly. He hated being outside at night for how exposed and uncomfortable it made him feel. Anything could be lurking in the shadows where he couldn't see. It had been a miserable trip so far, and all he wanted to do was get back to the warmth and comfort of his nest. The remnants of the snowfall last sunrise were making him feel even colder than usual.

Sageclaw had been sent out on a solo hunting mission in the hopes of catching any prey that, for StarClan-forsaken some reason, only decided to leave their burrows at night. The mission was in vain, as he was returning to camp empty-pawed. _What was even the point of sending me out?_ He wondered harshly. _It was obvious I wasn't going to catch anything._

The tom wasn't too concerned over the possible reaction of whoever was in charge of camp when they found out about his lack of prey, however. A much more pressing matter was running through his mind. Namely, what was about to transpire at the Gathering. With tensions so explosively high between RiverClan and WindClan, he suspected that one of the leaders of the Clans would probably make an accusation which would send the other into a fit of rage. It seemed likely to be Gorsestar, since WindClan were utterly convinced that a cat was intruding onto their territory. Sageclaw didn't want to know how that would go down, which was lucky, because he hadn't been selected to attend, anyway. But this opened up other problems. Foxflame had.

Sageclaw closed his eyes for a heartbeat. Ever since he'd discovered who her tormentor was, the usual petty arguments they had over differences of personalities had ceased. He felt a responsibility toward her as his Clanmate to comfort her, and even if her typical pride rejected most of his offers of help, he still worried about her. And tonight was no different. He hated the idea of her all alone at the Gathering, with that piece of fox-dung anywhere nearby. He wished he could tell himself that she would be alright, for although he didn't doubt her ability to protect herself, he knew the kind of cat Shellstorm was. Definitely not one to be messed with.

Or would she be alone? Whisperings of gossip around the camp had told him that the other two Clans would be bringing their slaves along to the Gathering, too, but no cat seemed to know why. That would be the only reason he'd even consider going. The prospect of seeing Eaglefang, Smoketalon and the rest once more.

Sageclaw had been hoping he'd get back to the camp before the cats on the Gathering patrol left. Then he'd be able to say goodbye to Foxflame, and maybe even warn her not to do anything reckless, so he was disappointed when he saw and heard the signs of a large group of cats approaching. He breathed in, picking up a few familiar scents, specifically those of the leader herself, Beetlenose, Reedshade and, unfortunately, Shellstorm. Moments later, Streamstar emerged into view, followed by the rest of the patrol clsse behind . Sageclaw didn't spot the she-cat he was looking for right away, so he assumed that she was lingering at the back.

'Ah, so our slave returns from his hunting trip,' Streamstar commented, stopping for a moment beside Sageclaw. He dipped his head toward her, more out of obligation than a sense of respect.

' _And_ without prey,' a scornful voice sneered at him, brash and loud. 'Why am I not surprised?'

The RiverClan cats broke out into purrs of amusement, somehow finding their deputy's pitiful excuse for a joke to be funny. Sageclaw didn't. He glared at Shellstorm, not even bothering to hide the hostility in his eyes. The great grey tom stood beside his mate, who incidentally, appeared to be the only cat from RiverClan who hadn't laughed. She even spared him an apologetic glance.

Reedshade's consistent shows of kindness had proven helpful. Ever since her lesson by the stream, Sageclaw had been practicing his fishing at any opportunity that arose. He hadn't managed to catch anything yet, though, for it required more precision and less clumsiness around water than he currently possessed. The skill would eventually have its merits in terms of helping him meet his prey targets, but now he found it was also a good way to vent his anger and annoyance, emotions so common to him as of late. Ironically, Sagecaw probably felt more sorry for her than she did for him. He assumed that she wasn't aware of Shellstorm's advances on Foxflame.

Streamstar interrupted her warriors' laughter with an impatient huff, reminding the party that they had places to be. They set off again quickly, not wanting to waste any more time. Sageclaw ignored the scathing look Shellstorm shot him as he padded past, but he couldn't help but growl at him when he was out of earshot. He still wanted to speak to Foxflame before she left.

Soon enough, he caught a glimpse of her dark ginger fur. She was flanking the other side of the group, meaning that he couldn't reach her. Worry made his tail flick anxiously from side to side. He considered calling out to her, but the patrol had already disappeared into the gloom before he could make a decision. _Mouse-dung_ , he cursed.

Something told him the she-cat was in for a difficult Gathering.

* * *

Foxflame scowled as she walked, taking great pleasure in digging her claws far into the ground with each pawstep. The action left scrape marks in the earth behind her, and indeed, lots of dirt on her pads. Evidently, she was in a bad mood.

She hadn't wanted to go to the Gathering. Staying in her nest and sleeping had seemed far more inviting, but since she had the luck of a kittypet that had just wandered into ShadowClan territory, it had been her that was chosen to attend. She supposed this was due to the influence of a certain tom, but either way, she hadn't protested. Her complaints would've been worthless.

The she-cat was alone where she padded. The closest RiverClan warrior to her at this stage was Eelscratch, who'd been chosen as a guard, but the lithe dark tom wasn't really paying attention to her. She continued tearing up the ground, bored. _Let's hope this is a quick Gathering_ , Foxflame thought. It was wishful thinking, though, what with the feud with WindClan... and she couldn't help but wonder...

She blinked, glancing up at the other cats on the patrol. They were moving at a fairly swift pace. It was a bit of an unspoken competition whenever the full moon came around to see which Clan could get to the island first. ShadowClan nearly always won, and WindClan were, for the most part, a close second. As far as Foxflame could tell, Streamstar wasn't that interested in competing against the other leaders, but that didn't mean she wasn't going to be punctual. The silver she-cat moved in an intent, brisk fashion. She noticed that although the sound of talk and whispering was constant, every cat kept glancing up at Streamstar, just to make sure they were keeping up with her.

Suddenly, Foxflame felt a tingling sensation crawl up her spine, one that made her hair stand on end. It was a feeling that only came when someone was staring straight at you. In a split second, her muscles had tensed up and her eyes narrowed, almost instinctively. She didn't want to look up, in case their eyes met. It would probably just encourage him.

She waited, hoping, for him to look away. Surely, if she just payed him as little attention as possible, he'd pick up on the fact that she'd rather spend time with a murderous badger than him? It seemed to take him sunrises to finally look away, but when he did, Foxflame risked a quick peek upward, hoping to catch where he was among the crowd.

She was relieved to see that the silver-grey tom was still where she'd seen him last, next to Reedshade. His head was close to the RiverClan she-cat's, saying something to her under his breath. She smiled up at him, and he butted her head affectionately. The sight made Foxflame hiss. _I can't believe he can just turn around and act normally to that she-cat, as though he's done nothing wrong!_ she thought furiously.

Quickly, she sped up a little until she strode just behind two other warriors. Their frames hid her away from view. That way, if Shellstorm tried to find her in the group again, he wouldn't be able to. It was the least she could've, and would've, done to prevent him from paying attention to her.

When they reached the lakeshore, the light had improved considerably. The water on the lake's mirrored surface reflected the limited moonbeams that filtered through the clouds, allowing them to see their way across to the island. Foxflame anticipated Streamstar would start leading them toward WindClan territory, where the log bridge was, so she was taken aback when the she-cat instead began to wade directly into the lake.

When the water had reached halfway up her legs, she turned to face her patrol again. 'Youngest across first,' the leader commanded, in a voice that had clearly spoken the exact same words many times before. 'I will follow.'

Foxflame watched, not quite comprehending, as the less experienced warriors and apprentices began to swim confidently towards the island. Then, it hit her. _They can't seriously be expecting me to swim across_ , she thought incredulously.

Thankfully, one of the RiverClan warriors, Beetlenose, realized the issue at the same time. 'But what about the slave?' he called out. 'She can't swim.'

Streamstar turned to look Foxflame up and down. She skimmed her tail over the surface of the water, sending a spray of droplets into the air. 'Somebody will have to help her across,' she rasped slowly.

The slave turned to the remaining warriors. _Any volunteers?_ she thought sarcastically. None of them seemed particularly eager to step up. One or two of them glanced at each other, whereas a few raised their heads and looked down their noses at her pointedly, as though the RiverClan leader had just asked them to clear out the dirtplace tunnel.

And then, the one voice she hadn't wanted to hear broke the silence. 'I'll do it.'

Foxflame dug her claws even further into the ground as Shellstorm stepped away from his mate's side. Reedshade appeared surprised, as did every other warrior there. There was a tiny smirk on his face, one that sickened the ginger she-cat.

She began to protest, but Streamstar cut in, 'Thank you, Shellstorm. Your kindness is much appreciated.' She nodded to him, albeit a hint bemusedly, and then gestured for the rest of the Gathering patrol to follow her. They did so, not wanting to be any more late than they already were. 'Be quick. I'd rather not start the Gathering without my deputy!' Streamstar added.

The only cat who lingered was Reedshade. She murmured something inaudible to the tom, although whatever it was, she didn't look too pleased. He started to answer, but wasn't given a chance to. The she-cat was already chasing after the rest of the RiverClan cats, leaving Foxflame alone with Shellstorm on the bank.

The very thought set her on edge. Her stomach was tight with apprehension, and a nervous feeling flooded through her veins. There was even the faintest inkling of fear mixed in.

But she wasn't going to show it.

'Don't you get it?' Foxflame snarled viciously. Her fur had begun to bristle. 'Is your head so full of yourself that you can't understand a single word I'm saying? Leave. Me. Alone.'

Shellstorm tilted his head to one side. 'Now, is that any way to speak to your deputy?' he purred, in a voice that was almost endearing.

'I wouldn't care if you were the RiverClan leader,' she retorted, shaking her head. 'Just go away!'

'But there's so many things I want to say to you. Things that I _have_ to say to you.'

'Oh, for StarClan's sake-'

'Woah, calm down!' he exclaimed as Foxflame glared daggers at him. 'Can't we at least be polite to each other? Would that be so hard?'

'Shut up,' she hissed, pushing straight past him and padding toward the edge of the water. 'I'll talk to an arrogant snakeheart like you any way I want.'

She had intended to dive straight in, and hopefully, wade just as Streamstar had done the entire way across. Typically, though, things weren't quite so simple. A few tail-lengths in, the floor of the lake dropped away sharply, so much so that Foxflame knew her paws wouldn't be able to reach the bottom. She gulped at the sight of the fast-moving ripples. Swimming had never been one of her strong points. She much preferred to keep her fur _dry._

'Come on,' Shellstorm murmured softly, moving forward until he stood right beside her. 'You know I'm going to have to help you over.'

She flashed her teeth at him with a snarl, but didn't say anything back. Standing next to him, it was suddenly a lot more evident just how much larger than her the RiverClan deputy was. With his enormous frame and broad features, she must've been comparable to an apprentice at his side.

The she-cat could still feel his gaze boring into her skull long after she'd looked away. All she wanted to do was get away from him, and yet here was this Dark Forest-damned lake, blocking her way to safety.

'So, how do you want to do this?' he questioned, shuffling a little closer. Foxflame stiffened even more. 'I guess it would be best if you kind of just, leant on me...'

He draped his tail over her shoulder. The slave recoiled as though she'd been burnt at his touch. A burst of fury surged from her head all the way down to her paws. She spun on him, eyes alight. 'I don't need your help!' she snapped.

A long sigh followed. '...Both of us know that's not true.'

As soon as the words left Shellstorm's lips, the she-cat decided she'd had enough. Every word he said was just making her angrier and angrier.

One swift leap later, Foxflame was in the lake.

The splash threw bitterly cold water into her face as she hit the surface. Its noise echoed loudly in her ears, deafening her for a few heartbeats. She half expected to keep sinking down into the lake's depths, sinking and sinking until she drowned, but then, her legs hit a layer of pebbles. She dug her claws into the silt, providing a firmer grip.

Foxflame twisted around when Shellstorm's voice rang out from behind, 'Please, don't be mouse-brained. You won't make it halfway.'

 _I'll show you_ , she thought determinedly, beginning to kick out, propelling herself forward.

The first few steps were easy, mainly because it didn't require any actual swimming. After that, however, the task became considerably harder. Her fur wasn't sleek like a RiverClan cat's. It seemed to trap all the water nearby, weighing her down like she was trying to pull herself through a wall of mud. She reached down, hoping to find something that would help her stand up, but there was nothing except the lake, carrying on forever. How come the distance between her and the island was so much larger than it had been back on the bank?

She heard another faint sigh from behind her. 'Why are you so stubborn? Just let me help you. You'll end up embarrassing yourself if you don't.'

Even if the tom's words were meant to discourage her, they had the exact opposite effect. Foxflame only kicked harder, using all of her effort to keep moving. Trees loomed up invitingly ahead, marking the land she so desired. She made sure to keep her eyes fixed upon them, giving herself something to aim for. Solid ground had to be close now. It had to be.

She pushed on, keeping a consistent rhythm with her legs and paws. In, out, in, out, cutting through the lakewater. Her breathing was fast and shallow. It felt like she wasn't moving anywhere. _Come on_ , she urged herself. _You can do this. You're a ThunderClan warrior!_

But no matter how hard she tried, the water kept on dragging her down. Her limbs were running out of energy, and quickly. She splashed around, desperately trying to keep herself afloat, but it was too deep. Far too deep. The effort drained her. Still, her paws weren't touching anything. ThunderClan cats weren't supposed to swim. It was against their nature.

She had started to shiver. Only now, when the rush of adrenaline had left her, did the numbing cold really start to settle in. Her struggles against the pull of the lake began to cease. She was sinking.

'Foxflame?'

Shellstorm's voice was muffled by the water in her ears. She wasn't listening to him, anyway. All she could think about was the island, the shadow of which was clawing at her like an angry dog.

'Foxflame...?'

A heartbeat later, and her head was completely submerged. She tried to gasp, but all that came out was a gargling, strangled sound.

' _Foxflame_!'

Freezing water echoing in her ears, she could barely hear Shellstorm now. Not that she cared. Floating beneath the surface of the lake gave her a peculiar feeling, as though she were flying. Her throat felt tight and bubbles escaped from her parted mouth, but through the icy depths, the she-cat was certain she could hear something or someone else, reaching out. Calling to her.

 _StarClan?_ she wondered absently. _Is that you? Are you still with me?_

Light was fading. Gently, her eyes fluttered closed. Her entire body went limp. No matter who or what was calling her, the noise it made was somewhat soothing. This was the en-

Suddenly, teeth fixed into her scruff, and started to yank her back upward. The abrupt change sent shock waves reverberating through her. She opened her mouth to speak, but the water surrounding her nearly made her choke. Foxflame wasn't sure what was happening, but within seconds, it had well and truly knocked her out of the delirious state she'd fallen into. She needed to breathe. Now.

The she-cat tilted her head back and opened her eyes, ignoring the slight stinging feeling that came with it. It was Shellstorm. He was pulling her back to safety with strong, confident kicks of his legs; despite the tom's enormous size, his movement was almost graceful. Already, they were moving much faster than she had been on her own.

The surface was right above their heads now, and the floor of the lake was visible again. She reached out pathetically with her paws. It was too much. Her chest felt close to bursting. She couldn't bear to hold her breath any longer. _Get me out! Please, get me out!_

Shellstorm re-emerged first, quickly followed by Foxflame. She coughed up water as much-needed air flowed back into her aching lungs. The relief that came with it was overwhelming. Her heart pounded heavily, and the pain remained, but breathing had never before been such a pleasure.

He heaved on further until their paws touched down on the lakebed. Now that they were so close to the island, the scents and noises of a large number of cats became clear. The din they caused merely washed over her, though. She might've been able to stand up if any energy was left in her screaming muscles.

'Oh, StarClan,' Shellstorm wheezed, as they finally escaped the freezing clutches of the water. 'Are you alright? Tell me you're alright.'

The she-cat couldn't force out the words to reply, collapsing like a rag doll onto the shore. Thorns were rooted into the nooks and crannies between the rocks that lined the miniature forest she knew lay ahead. Moisture continued dripping from her wet and heavy fur, darkening the stone around her. Noticing this, the RiverClan deputy began licking her fur in the wrong direction. She wasn't sure how this would help, but strangely enough, it seemed to speed up the drying.

'Foxflame,' he whispered, the usual roughness in his voice absent. 'You scared me so much.'

Perhaps if what he was saying had come from a different cat, it might've touched her. From the mouth of Shellstorm, however, it felt wrong and out of place. A part of her wanted to hiss at him, but the rest, utterly passive, resisted.

Her lack of a response seemed to silence the tom. He carried on washing the water from her pelt, and nothing was exchanged between them for awhile. Or perhaps it was no time at all. Foxflame couldn't really tell, but either way, she almost appreciated it.

When her breathing had finally calmed, and their fur was dry for the most part, she craned her neck upward. Shellstorm was still bent over her chest, eyes brimming with sentiment.

'Aren't you going to say thank you?' he asked.

Foxflame shook her head.

And then, everything went mad.

The tenderness in Shellstorm's gaze evaporated, and was replaced with an emotion so passionate and lustful it scared her. Like lightning, his heavy paws shot forth and rammed into her shoulders, pinning the she-cat down. He lowered himself toward her until his face was so close to hers, their whiskers brushed.

'You ungrateful piece of crowfood,' he spat, eerily quiet. 'I just saved your life.'

Foxflame could only stare back, helpless. She doubted she would've been able to get him off in a fit state, let alone when she'd just nearly been drowned. His tail brushed against hers, and then they began to entwine.

'I love you. Can't you see that?'

He shoved their muzzles together forcefully. A horrible queasiness passed over her, like something was trying to crawl out and force its way up her throat. She squirmed beneath the pressure of his body pressing into hers, which was half-on, half-off her. A purr rumbled from him. She was powerless. Totally powerless.

 _Rain pours from the clouds like the tears of StarClan. It showers them. Their pelts are soaked. Somewhere to her right, a young grey apprentice cries. She wants to do so herself, but she won't. She'll resist. She must stay strong. Because if she doesn't, who else will?_

 _Blood drips from her nose and onto her paws, staining her ginger fur a darker shade of red. It seems to drip from everywhere. The whole clearing stained in a sea of blood. Corpses lie on the ground. Corpses of cats she knew and loved. The remnants of ThunderClan. Dying, all around her._

 _There's nothing she can do. They've taken everything. Her whole life, shattered to pieces right before her eyes, as though it had never existed. What happens next? Is she going to die? What else is there to live for?_

No _._

Miraculously, Foxflame managed to summon up her last bit of strength to lash out, raking her claws down the huge tom's cheek. It was enough to cause him to stumble backward, giving her a chance to make her escape. She scrambled onto her paws and dashed away, not daring to look back.

'Foxflame! Get back here!' Shellstorm yowled.

 _I'll kill him_ , she thought, as she reached the treeline. _One day, I'll kill him._

Her mind was a blur as she ran through the fringes of the clearing. From previous experience, she knew that the undergrowth would soon give way to a large, open expanse of grass, where all the frivolous chatter of the Gathering would take place. She felt overwhelmed. Nothing quite made sense. Her fur was a mess, and her musty amber eyes darted about wildly as she passed tree after tree. She was caught in a whirlwind, which blew her this way and that at will.

Quickly, she glanced over her shoulder to check whether Shellstorm had given chase. Nothing followed her. The sight was vaguely reassuring. Foxflame ground her paws down, causing her to skid to a hurried halt. The small patches of shrubs and trees were peeling away. The clearing was mere tail-lengths ahead.

The she-cat swallowed nervously. The memories she had of Gatherings weren't fantastic. Her enthusiasm was dampened even further by the fact there would be a distinct lack of ThunderClan cats there.

 _Pull yourself together, Foxflame_ , she scolded herself. _You're acting like a kit_. _Besides, anything in the Gathering is better than Shellstorm._ She took the last few steps out of the undergrowth with as much dignity as she could muster. A blank expression found its way onto her face. Although her stomach was churning, she needed to stay strong. Nothing would get the better of her.

The clearing's sheer size was swelled by the number of cats within. Groups milled about like swarms of wasps. To one side, apprentices taunted each other with dares, and warriors boasted of their latest hunting exploits. To another, elders reminisced of their youthful and exuberant moons. A collection of scents filled the air, ShadowClan, WindClan, and RiverClan alike, despite the fact the latter two Clans were avoiding each other somewhat. And was there the slightest hint of ThunderClan, too?

Foxflame, not wanting to draw too much attention to herself, darted to the left and took a seat at the outskirts of the crowd. Even though she'd been invited, it was fairly clear that she wasn't welcome here. Cats sneered at her contemptuously as she padded past. They received a curl of the lip back.

After settling down on her haunches, she took a better look around the clearing. Right at the center, the huge oak tree where the leaders spoke from loomed above all the rest. Streamstar, Gorsestar, and Ravenstar perched regally on one of the lower branches, ready to address the gathered Clan cats. They appeared to be waiting for something; Ravenstar looked far from pleased.

Now that she'd stopped moving, the feeling of being sick reinstated itself. Her muzzle was burning from where he'd touched her, and the humiliation that came with it was even stronger. _He saved my life_ , Foxflame thought, her ears hot. _He saved my life, and then he did_ that _._

There were so many things wrong with what Shellstorm had done. He had a mate. He was supposed to be in love with her. _How could he expect me to thank him for anything after what he did to my Clan?_

My Clan.

StarClan, she missed them so much.

And they were here.

The slave had completely forgotten about that. Her surviving Clanmates were supposed to be attending! She sat up a little, and immediately began searching through the throng for any sign of a familiar face. Smoketalon, perhaps? Eaglefang?

'Your attention, please! The Gathering shall now commence.'

A confident voice rang out across the clearing. It belonged to Ravenstar, whose icy-cold eyes were as unemotional as ever. The chatter lowered to an excited murmur. Foxflame's tail twitched, frustrated that she hadn't been able to find anyone.

'I'll apologize on behalf of RiverClan for the absence of their deputy,' he commented dryly. 'It seems that having control over her cats isn't one of Streamstar's priorities.'

The ShadowClan cats chuckled at their leader's joke. WindClan joined in, albeit much more spitingly. Shellstorm had joined the other deputies beneath the great oak while Foxflame had been distracted. She didn't dare look at him. She didn't even want to think about him.

Streamstar remained calm. 'Thank you,' she mewed graciously. 'But I couldn't help noticing the lack of any WindClan slaves here. Is there a reason for that, Gorsestar?'

The shrewd brown tabby bristled. 'Who I chose to accompany me here is none of your business,' he retorted.

The tension that crackled in the air was unmistakable. The Gathering had barely even begun, and already the two leaders were taking swipes at each other. Foxflame knew the minor confrontation would be nothing compared to what was to come. Her conscience prickled.

Ravenstar observed the whole thing with undisguised curiosity. From a distance, his eyes seemed to gleam in the moonlight.

'If you two have finished,' he drawled, 'I'll begin my report.'

If one was foolish enough to believe him, ShadowClan were flourishing in the heart of leafbare and prey was plentiful beyond belief; their unflattering frames, however, begged to differ. There was a mention of a new apprentice, Tanglepaw, which earned the traditional cheer. Ravenstar then concluded his brief speech with a warning that ShadowClan were prepared to defend their borders no matter what. Foxflame fully believed him on that one.

When he was done, Streamstar opened her mouth to speak next, but Gorsestar interrupted her. ' _I_ will speak next,' he grunted roughly.

The RiverClan leader's eyes narrowed to slits. Rather than protesting, however, she stepped back, giving him permission to do so. It was almost like a sign of acceptance.

'Cats of the Clans!' Gorsestar yowled immediately. 'RiverClan have been stealing our prey!'

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_


	15. Chapter 14: Foxflame

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER FOURTEEN

It was strange how quickly the Gathering erupted.

Within a heartbeat, cats leapt to their paws, snarling and spitting at each other like cornered rats. Ferocity burned in their eyes, a ferocity that had been barely contained for sunrises. From where she sat at the edge of the crowd, Foxflame could see everything. The caterwauls grated at her ears. She couldn't help but feel intimidated. Meanwhile, the ShadowClan cats broke away from the quarreling groups of their neighbors, moving toward the other side of the clearing.

Foxflame blinked. A part of her wanted to run away, and never come back. She had to force herself to keep still. Above the chaos, in the branches of the great oak tree, the leaders were just as hostile toward each other. Streamstar was struggling to retain her calm.

'The fact that you can lie so blatantly is astounding,' she quipped icily. 'No RiverClan cat has been on your territory, Gorsestar.'

The WindClan leader bared his teeth. They were tapered down to deadly points. 'Do you think I'm rabbit-brained? My warriors have picked up your scent multiple times over the past moon. Our border _reeks_ of RiverClan intrusions.'

'We have done no such thing!' Streamstar insisted.

Growls echoed from below. Only tail-lengths from Foxflame, two apprentices who seemed barely out of kithood circled each other menacingly. She stared at them, shocked such young cats were getting drawn into the argument.

From the tree stump beneath the overhanging branches of the oak, one voice rang out through the crescendo, louder than the rest.

'Just admit it!' the WindClan deputy, Sandpelt, shouted. 'We've smelled you-'

'Prove it,' a RiverClan warrior hissed at her.

'Why would we want your mangy rabbits?'

'Yeah, we have the river!'

Sandpelt curled her lip, but before she could retort, her leader raised his tail, trying to regain the attention of the crowd.

'Don't try and use the river as an excuse,' he snapped, ears flattened. 'The streams in your territory would've frozen over, as they have in my own. You were never satisfied with the prey we caught for you in ThunderClan's old forest - every time, you demanded more, and now you've resorted to stealing it.'

Streamstar's eyes blazed. She was losing her cool, and quickly. 'We demanded more because you were taking it all for yourself!'

Gorsestar let out a furious yowl and turned on her. He looked poised to strike. Foxflame stared on in horror. _The leaders can't fight. Not now. They wouldn't. It's against the truce, the warrior code. Right?_

That being said, they certainly hadn't shown much respect for the code toward ThunderClan. This was surely next to nothing in comparison.

It had begun to rain. In the heart of leafbare, it was absolutely freezing. The ginger she-cat looked glanced up at the sky; it was full of thick grey clouds, sinister and foreboding. The moon was gone, now covered by the dark streaks. Silverpelt had been obscured. Foxflame was no expert on the matter, but she was sure this meant StarClan was angry. So why was no one saying anything? The medicine cats, lost among the crowd, hadn't spoken a word. Either that, or the cries for blood were too loud for them to be heard.

As a droplet of water splashed against her muzzle, a chilling sensation rushed through her fur. All around her, cats were on the verge of breaking out into a fight. Nearby, Eelscratch faced off against a bulky WindClan tom. To her left, Beetlenose bristled his pelt at another lithe brown she-cat. The apprentices she'd noticed earlier were right up in each other's faces.

She gulped; her throat felt tight. It was like she was still in the water, about to drown. The rain only made it worse. Her pelt was becoming thick and heavy again, quickly being weighed down again. She half expected Shellstorm to re-emerge, as if from a nightmare. And the shrieks of outrage were only growing louder and louder.

Foxflame had always prided herself on keeping cool under the pressure, but this was too much, even for her. Everything was closing in around her. The battle-hungry cats. The fear. The memories.

The guilt.

And looming over it all, was Ravenstar. He was the sole figure who appeared calm. His cold blue eyes, like chips of ice amongst his jet-black pelt, glowed with a strange eminence that filled her with fear. She couldn't quite tell, but was he... was he _smiling?_

Panic set in. She couldn't bear it anymore; she had to escape. Foxflame backed away from the confrontation between the Clans, shaking her head in horror. Nobody noticed her, nobody even cared. Seeing this, she broke out into a run, ducking into the bushes surrounding the clearing before she could even think twice about it. Her fur got caught on the thorns of one of the shrubs. She ripped herself free. The hasty motion pulled out hair and tore at her skin, but she ignored the sudden burst of pain and pushed on. She just needed to be alone.

A loud crack resonated through the trees as her paws tripped on a root poking out from the earth. She tumbled over, slamming face-first into the ground. Her vision blurred, but she made no movement to get back up again. Now that she'd stopped running, all she wanted to do was lay there.

Foxflame barely moved, listening to the rain pouring down onto the canopy of trees above. She could hear it splashing to the ground beside her, and hitting against her soaked pelt. The clamor from the arguing Clans continued on faintly in the distance. It didn't show any signs of stopping. The she-cat found she was almost battling herself.

 _You need to stay strong, Foxflame. Are you really going to let them win?_

 _How can I not? Shellstorm's getting worse every sunrise... and now this..._

 _Don't be mouse-brained. You need to keep the memory of ThunderClan alive-_

 _Why should I? ThunderClan is dead! There's nothing to keep going for. Not anymore._

She closed her eyes, and was thrown back to that moment beside the lake. The RiverClan deputy was holding her down, his blue eyes alight with emotion. She remembered his words all too clearly, echoing through her mind. "I love you. Can't you see that?"

 _Did_ he love her?

 _No!_ she thought fiercely. _Of course he doesn't love you. And even if he thought he did, he wouldn't go about trying to tell you like_ this _._

That much she was certain of. Shellstorm didn't love her. She had no idea what was making him say that, but he didn't. The only cat that snakeheart loved was himself.

 _That's why you need to keep going. If you give in, then everything will just get worse. Perhaps your Clan was defeated, but_ you _haven't been. Not yet. You need to fight._

 _Because you're not a slave. You never have been._

 _You're a warrior._

Slowly, Foxflame began to pick herself up. Her legs wavered, but her musty yellow eyes were now brimming with a grim determination. She couldn't show weakness, and let them prey on her like a hawk on a mouse. It wasn't right.

She turned around and padded back toward the clearing from which she'd come. The place on her shoulder where she'd cut herself on the thorns stung, but she ignored the pain, concentrating on her pawsteps. Each one felt heavier than the last. The shouts, however, sounded much more subdued than they had been before. One cat was speaking louder than the rest, most likely one of the leaders. Streamstar, perhaps? It certainly sounded like a she-cat.

She inhaled deeply when she arrived at the fringes of the clearing. _Remember, you're a warrior._

'Hey, Foxflame.'

It took her a few heartbeats to recognize him, but when she did, her eyes widened. Her body seemed to catch fire. It had been so long since she'd heard his voice, and yet, it had barely changed at all. Just as she'd remembered it.

Smoketalon stood a few fox-lengths behind her, just beside the shrub that she had emerged from. His long black fur was disheveled and visibly damp, but in her eyes, it had a sheen unrivaled by any cat she'd looked at in moons. His amber eyes, brighter than her's, shone in the gloomy darkness like sunbeams. He was totally still, staring at her with an expression that reflected what she was currently feeling. She stared back at him with the same emotion.

Neither of them moved. It was as if they were the only two cats in the world.

'Hey,' she breathed, unable to force out anything else.

He nodded in understanding. Foxflame knew she didn't have to say anything more. There was no need.

She hesitated, before taking a small step closer and sniffing at him. She was wary of believing he was real, just in case it was all a horrible trick some cat was playing on her. But it wasn't. His scent was the same. He was actually there, standing right in front of her. He was real.

She took another step, and with the same sense of uncertainty, the tom copied her. It was as though they were young deer, taking their first look at an amazing new world. There was an immense feeling of elation building up inside Foxflame; whatever ego she had left melted away to nothingness at the mere sight of her Clanmate, and she hoped he was feeling it too.

Now, they were within a mouse-tail of each other. Their eyes locked, amber gazing into amber.

'So,' he coughed, a little awkwardly. 'Um... how are you?'

The awkwardness was gone before it had even started.

The two cats talked about almost everything. From the most insignificant altercation with a rude apprentice, to the confrontation with a senior warrior that nearly turned violent, they poured out whatever had been bothering them, anything on their mind, to their Clanmate. To Foxflame, it felt so natural _._ It was the first time in a long while that a conversation she was having wasn't laced with sharp retorts or hurtful comments. Even with Sageclaw, their relationship was strained by time spent together and issues within RiverClan. This was different, and so _right,_ although some things were better left unsaid. She didn't mention Shellstorm.

As Smoketalon complained about the conditions in his den, she thought about the times she had spent with him in their old home. It was strange in some ways - they had never really been friends. Denmates, yes, but anything closer than that had always been out of the question. Smoketalon was so difficult to get along with. He was cold and unfriendly, sometimes even mean, and spent most of his time with his brother, Beechfoot. In truth, Foxflame had disliked him (although this was true for most of the cats she'd grown up with, at least back then).

Nevertheless, here they were, talking together like they were brother and sister. Their harsh personalities seemed to have disappeared into thin air. Foxflame was just glad she was with a Clanmate. That link alone was enough for either of them.

'-I can't remember the last time I was warm at night. The slaves' den is so cold, you might as well be sleeping out in the open!' Smoketalon complained.

'That sounds awful,' Foxflame agreed. 'Do you spend as much time hunting as we do? I swear, we have to get up by dawn every single sunrise to even have a _chance_ of meeting our prey target.'

'Prey target?'

'Yeah. We have to catch five pieces of prey a day now, _in the middle of leafbare._ '

'So RiverClan don't just _eat_ fish. They have the brains of fish, too.'

Foxflame laughed, and Smoketalon joined in for a moment. Then abruptly, he stopped.

The ginger she-cat frowned. 'What is it?'

He hung his head. 'I don't think I can remember the last time I laughed like that.'

At the sight of the tom like this, his eyes fixed onto the ground and his tail drooping with despondency, Foxflame reached forward instinctively and pressed her muzzle against his shoulder. She stiffened just upon realizing what she was doing - a gesture of comfort was not something she was used to giving. Smoketalon didn't move away, though. Instead, he nuzzled her back, the softest but unmistakable touch. The contact sent a feeling of warmth spreading through her, but it was bittersweet. There was sadness edged in with it as well, as harsh as the leafbare wind.

Suddenly, a yowl echoed from the clearing beyond the shrubs. Foxflame turned her head, ears twitching slightly. It was louder than the shrieks they'd heard throughout their conversation, like a summoning call.

'You heard that, right?' she asked.

Smoketalon nodded, pulling away from the contact. 'It was probably just one of the leaders trying to get everyone's attention.'

She waited for the call to come again, but what followed was different. The sound of a large group of cats, walking through the trees nearby. Her eyes narrowed, unsure of what was happening, but then it hit her. _The Gathering must've ended_.

Quickly, she looked over at Smoketalon. 'We have to go,' she told him. 'The Clans are leaving.'

There was a grave look in his eyes, one that told her all she needed to know. She felt it too. The pull for kin to stay together.

'I don't want to go, either,' she blurted out unceremoniously. 'But we have to, don't we? There's no other choice.'

It felt like an era before Smoketalon finally looked away. The reluctance on his face was evident. 'Yes. We must.'

Foxflame wanted to say something else. It was like a massive hole had been left between them, one that still needed to be filled, but she couldn't quite put her paw on what it was. She started to speak, but then stopped herself.

'Goodbye.'

He didn't say another word.

Feeling strangely agitated that they had ended on such a low point, the she-cat padded toward the clearing, annoyed with herself. _What was he thinking?_ she wondered. _Did he have something else he wanted to-_

'Wait!'

She spun around when Smoketalon's urgent call met her ears. He was running back toward her, his face contorted with an emotion she couldn't read.

'I need to talk to you about something,' he rasped desperately. 'Something important.'

Foxflame looked at him, bewildered. 'What? What is it?'

'Freedom.'

She couldn't comprehend what Smoketalon was trying to tell her. It was like she'd never heard the word before in her life: a long lost story that the elders used to tell their kits. Foxflame gazed at him as if he'd gone mad.

'Did you just say-'

He shook his head. 'There's no time to explain. I have to go and find Aspenpaw.' The tom flicked his tail impatiently. 'Meet me by the ShadowClan border in two sunrises time, at moonhigh. And don't be late.'

Before she could gather her thoughts, Smoketalon was running back off into the bushes. She tried to shout his name, but the last signs of his black pelt had already disappeared into the trees. Foxflame was left standing there alone, shocked.

 _Freedom?_ she thought disbelievingly. _What did he mean by that?_

But she didn't have time to ponder on it. She had to get back to the RiverClan patrol.

Quickly, she burst out into the clearing. The freezing rain had stopped, but the grass was now soaking wet. However, the moon, which had been completely covered up by clouds earlier, was now free and shining with apparent vengeance. It bathed the island in long, thin beams of moonlight. She looked around, trying to find any sign of the leaving cats, but the clearing was deserted. _They can't have all left already, could they?_

She breathed in the lingering scents. It didn't take her long to find the trail left by the RiverClan cats, and she followed it down to the place where they had swum over. The boulders which lay along the shoreline glistened in the light. She sniffed at the air again. The scent was undeniable here; she could smell the patrol heading toward the water's edge.

Just as panic at the thought of having to swim back over alone was beginning to reach her, she saw a cat padding along the bank. It was one whose pelt she recognized. Rowanleap, a young ginger warrior.

He noticed her at the same time. 'There you are!' he shouted.

Foxflame ran over to him, oddly relieved at the the sight of the RiverClan warrior. Something told her she wouldn't be feeling that again for a long time, but at the moment, she was just grateful that she wasn't alone, or left with the deputy again.

'For StarClan's sake, where have you been?' he hissed angrily. 'Are you so fish-brained that you got lost?'

'Oh please, the only fish-brain I see here is you,' she retorted.

The old Foxflame hadn't been gone that long.

* * *

 _Sageclaw dreamed._

 _He dreamed he was back on the starry plain. The mist was denser this time, but the alluring stars shone brighter than ever. If he looked down, the gleam of them hurt his eyes. How beautiful this place was. So peaceful and welcoming._

 _So free._

 _'Have you found it yet?'_

 _The wonderful sound of the voice made him want to laugh and cry and cheer, all at once. 'It's you!' he cried. 'I thought I'd never-'_

 _'Have you found it yet?' it repeated, as if it hadn't heard._

 _Sageclaw closed his mouth, suddenly feeling foolish. 'Found what?'_

 _'You know. You'll always know.'_

 _And he did. They were still looking for freedom. The last time he'd been here, the voice had asked him whether he'd thought it possible to find it. Sageclaw hadn't thought so at the time, but now he wasn't so sure. Was_ this _freedom?_

 _'No,' the voice said, answering his thought. 'You are free of the living world when you walk here with me, but this is not the same freedom that you seek.'_

 _Sageclaw closed his eyes, and thought about it. He wanted to please the voice, he really did, but surely it was impossible to find freedom? How could he do it?_

 _'No!' the voice spoke again. 'You are limiting yourself to what you think is real. While you are here, there is no such thing as "possible" and "impossible". There is only yourself.'_

 _'I don't understand,' he murmured, ashamed he was letting himself down._

 _A long sigh echoed. 'And until you learn to let go, you never will.'_

 _All of a sudden, something red began to appear from the mist in from of him. It was thick, and it dirtied the stars, dulling their majestic light. Sageclaw watched in confusion, unsure as to what was happening. It was only until it reached his paws that he realized what it was._

 _Blood._

 _'Beware, Sageclaw,' the voice echoed. 'There is danger for you ahead. The past is drenched in blood, but the future is pale as light...'_

* * *

 ** _[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]_**


	16. Chapter 15: Eaglefang

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

If it weren't for the sobbing, Eaglefang might've been able to relax. The idea of putting his head back and stretching out was wonderful. He could see himself now - munching on a plump squirrel and enjoying all the lovely weather that greenleaf had to offer. But there were no plump squirrels on the fresh-kill pile. The weather was far from lovely. It was wasn't even greenleaf. There may have been a time when he liked the snow, but now anything apart from hating it was a distant memory. On sunrises like this, when not a patch of unfrozen ground could be seen, he despised it.

The putrid stench had seeped into all corners of the camp. No matter where he stood, in the dens or in the clearing, his scent glands were filled with it. But as unbearable as it was, the smell had imposed itself so much as of late that there was a striking normality to it. Branchfur's death from greencough had left the Clan grief-stricken, and as Gorsestar had requested, the elders' den had been closed out of fear that the disease would spread. Their fears hadn't been without merit. Several warriors and apprentices had come down with so-called "minor" coughs, although they'd been serious enough for Ryesong to keep them under constant supervision. The reek that now emanated from the abandoned elders' den, and the slightly weaker one from the medicine cat's, was spreading. Eaglefang had hoped that the affliction wasn't spreading, too. But just earlier, his hopes had been dashed. Chivedash had died.

Her mourning ceremony was taking place in the center of the camp, for all to see. Most of the Clan had come, and the tears of one of her closest kin chilled the tom to the bone. He had barely known her, and bore no intention to change that when she was alive, but her, and indeed any cat's, death was a tragedy to him. It had hardly been half a moon since he discovered her alone with the corpse of her fellow elder. Now, the last of WindClan's oldest living generation had passed on, and all the lavender in the world couldn't conceal the reek of its remains. Yet as much as he tried not to, the darkest and blackest hole of his heart had a certain sardonic detachment toward it. Perhaps now, WindClan would better understand what they put him through.

And as though things weren't going badly enough in their private affairs, the Gathering party had returned with bad news on the issue with their rivals. RiverClan had not only provoked them, but refused to accept they had been intruding on their territory at all. Eaglefang had almost laughed when he heard this. Either they were just being stubborn, or they thought that WindClan were complete mouse-brains. The evidence spoke for itself. Although a fight was the last thing he wanted, his captors needed as much prey as they could get, and prey for his captors meant prey for him. There was an unspoken thought going through his mind, most likely shared by all the other cats round him. If more food wasn't found soon...

He closed his eyes. The nights were getting longer, and the days were getting shorter. He was tired, and the ever-present hunger in his belly continued to burn, showing no sign of letting up. Despite this, he didn't want to eat in case the fresh-kill was intended for someone else, and he most certainly didn't want to try and go to sleep. There wasn't much point, for if Palewhisper couldn't sleep, then he most certainly wouldn't be. The outlook for her was awful; Eaglefang was starting to become desperate. He didn't want to admit it, but the tom suspected that the answer to all the she-cat's problems lay in figuring out the meaning behind her prophetic dreams.

But Eaglefang didn't want to know. In truth, he was scared. Terrified. The past is drenched in blood, but the future is pale as light. What it signified was a mystery. But not to one cat, someone who, unfortunately, he wasn't all that willing to consult.

But he did want Palewhisper to be happy. That much, he knew for certain.

Palewhisper. Eaglefang allowed the thought of her to wash over him for a moment. That soft white fur, as gentle and delicate as a feather. Those glistening blue eyes, which used to be so full of life when she was younger, but were now full of heartbreak and shadows of cats and far more comforting times. As the sunrises passed, she was beginning to mean so much more to him. She was his friend, his comfort, and his only Clanmate. In a way, she _was_ his Clan. She relied on him so much, but he relied on her just as much. Maybe even more.

The she-cat would be finishing the final chore she'd been assigned - delivering as much fresh-kill as could be spared to the queens. Eaglefang had originally felt compelled to sit in on the mourning ceremony, at least from a distance, but this obligation had long since lost its necessity. The sooner she finished, the sooner they could get away.

It didn't take too long before she emerged from the nursery. He sat up, partly in relief, as her lithe frame came into view. Grasped in her mouth were the remains of a rabbit, which, if it were like the rest on the fresh-kill pile, hadn't been all that enticing in the first place. She glanced around, looking for him, and when their eyes met quickly made her way over.

'Hi,' she murmured, upon arriving at his side.

'Hi.'

He expected Palewhisper to sit down, but confusion flickered in his gaze when she carried on standing, like she wasn't sure if the invitation was extended to her or not. There was a slight twitch to the she-cat's muscles - an uncertainty revealed by the anxiety of her countenance. Eaglefang was reminded of the prey she carried, chased and frightened by some unseen hunter.

He reached forward and brushed her ears with his tail tip. 'Do you want to go back inside?'

She didn't answer him, instead plonking down beside him unceremoniously. There was that absent look again. The one that indicated she was thinking of something else.

In the silence that followed, the tom decided that despite the yearning in his heart to comfort her further, it would be silly to waste what little food they had. He tucked in, removing every last morsel of succulence from the bones of the rabbit; parts were left behind for Palewhisper, but it took a significant amount of self-control to resist his more selfish urges to finish off the meal himself. He was licking his lips when her faint voice came to him again.

'It's really awful, isn't it?'

Eaglefang didn't need telling what she was referencing. The mourning ceremony was reaching its latter stages. He could make out Ryesong among the throng, sending their collective prayers to StarClan for the loss of their Clanmate.

'I suppose so,' the slave grunted, gulping down the last mouthful he had allowed himself.

'Her name was Chivewing, yes?'

'Chivedash.'

'Oh.'

That awful, emotionless voice entered his mind again. _That just about sums up how much I care._

Not wanting to dwell on the awful thought, Eaglefang distracted himself by pushing the last few parts of the rabbit toward Palewhisper. A bone broke away from the skeleton and came to rest at one of her paws. She barely moved.

'You can have that if you wan-'

'Why is life so pointless?'

The outburst caught him off guard. His ears flattened slightly. 'What makes you say that?'

She turned her head toward the other slave. 'It just seems so... futile. Why in StarClan's name should any of us go on? What reason is there at all?'

Eaglefang didn't like where this conversation was heading. He opened his mouth to interrupt her, but Palewhisper was faster.

'We do the same thing every sunrise. Not just us, I mean. Every cat in every Clan. We wake up, we listen to our patrols, we go on them, we come back and share tongues, we go out again and then we go to sleep. It's never different. It's always the same. The dawn arrives and the sun sets at the same times they did before. A repeating cycle. But what's the point? To survive? To keep the Clan going? We mean nothing. Loyalty, the code, our ancestors, our ideals and kin all account for so little. And yet we care about them so-so much.'

Her voice had lowered to a hoarse whisper, cracked and broken. 'Why should we even care about ThunderClan?'

Eaglefang stared back at her. The she-cat's words resonated through his body and away into the night. He doubted that any cat apart from him had heard them, least of all StarClan. They made his legs feel light as a feather, and his conscience as heavy as a boulder. But despite this, he knew he couldn't show how big a nerve Palewhisper had hit. This was giving up. She was giving up. And he was responsible for her. He had to be strong for her, now more than ever.

'We care because it's all we have,' he answered, firmly and honestly. 'That's it. We haven't lost yet - we lost on that night back home, but that doesn't mean our fight is over. ThunderClan needs us. I'm not going to lose, and neither are you.'

Palewhisper had looked away by the time he finished. All her attention was focused on the rabbit carcass, which only served as a reminder of the pungent smell of death around them. She didn't need to say anything else. There was no need.

Eaglefang coughed. 'Um... maybe... maybe you should go back to the den? I'll be with you in just a moment.'

The she-cat practically leapt to her paws and dashed off before he could blink. As soon as she was out of earshot, a cloud of tension was lifted. He didn't have a clue how their conversation had ended up so strangely draining, but it had. For some reason, he felt like all the energy had been sucked from his body, leaving him a shallow and empty husk of a cat. The wretched cold was worsening, and those factors combined left his heart beating wildly. His emotions raged inside, churning with sadness and regret and an overwhelming desire to help her.

If that wasn't a sign to stop stalling, he didn't know what was.

All of a sudden, a clear aim emerged in his mind. Eaglefang knew what he had to do, even if his pride screamed at him to stop and reconsider. What Palewhisper said continued to echo around in his mind. In some ways, she was right. It was awful that Chivedash had died, but no one could deny that wasn't going to be the only life claimed by this leafbare. If she was one of them, there really wouldn't be a point.

The mourning ceremony was disbanding as he got up to his paws. A smaller band of WindClan cats were carrying the limp body of the elder, heading past him over toward the camp entrance. The burial would take place soon. Grieving warriors and Clanmates moved slowly in the opposite direction, to whatever small consolation their dens could offer. Eaglefang whisked through them, searching for one face in particular. Eventually, he caught sight of a dark brown tail disappearing into the medicine cat den. Ryesong.

He sprinted over, brushing several warriors aside, one of whom snarled at him viciously, but he ignored them. Even as he reached the den, he didn't stop, bursting in without a moment of consideration.

That detestable scent was stronger still now that he was merely a fox-length away from those who had caught the sickness. At present, there was one warrior, Harestoop, and a young apprentice, Doepaw. They tossed and turned, coughing even in their sleep. Coupled with their red streaming eyes and puffy noses, Eaglefang truly didn't want to take a step closer, but he was more concerned by Ryesong. The small medicine cat had twisted around when he burst in. Her paws were midway through a pile of feverfew, frozen in surprise by his entrance. He panted, and could see his breath rising through the air in front of him.

After a pause where neither cat knew what to say, she rolled her eyes and continued sorting through her herbs. 'No, please do come in,' she commented dryly.

All of a sudden, he felt a wave of embarrassment, and licked his paws self-consciously. But the urgency in his mood wasn't absent for very long. 'Sorry Ryesong, but I need to talk to yo-'

'Ssh,' she interrupted, her back still facing him. 'I need to finish this.'

'It's important.'

Her tail swished, indicating she had heard, but apart from that she pointedly ignored him. He tried to speak again and get their inevitably awkward conversation over with, but Ryesong was having none of it. Apparently, the sorting of feverfew was an issue of paramount importance. She appeared to take far longer than was necessary, placing each leaf down in its correct position on the pile with the utmost care and precision.

The task allowed Eaglefang to mull over what he was about to do. It didn't help. He was still trying to dissuade himself. The last time he'd been here, and the medicine cat had pressed on the state of Palewhisper, he'd stormed out after saying he wouldn't tell her anything. Now, he wished he hadn't. The tom's own stubbornness tempted him to leave before he could confide in her anything about the nightmares. _That prophecy,_ Eaglefang thought, _can't mean anything good. What if she tells you something you'd rather not hear?_

But then he thought about Chivedash. The image of Palewhisper in her place was too horrible to comprehend. If this was what it took to aid her, then so be it.

The sound of Ryesong finishing up with the feverfew pulled him back to the real world. There was a degree of impatience, and indeed wariness, in the way she spoke next. 'Well?'

Eaglefang closed his eyes, and prepared himself to tell her by inhaling deeply. He still didn't want to do it. He wanted to care for his Clanmate alone.

'It's about Palewhisper,' came his reply.

What her immediate reaction was, the slave didn't know. Whether relief, or incredulity, or harsh judgment furrowed her face wasn't important. He was too busy looking anywhere but at her. The sound of the croaky rise and fall of Harestoop's chest provided a distraction. Up. Down. Up. Down. Or maybe it was his own breathing that he was concentrating on, and the pounding of his own nervous heart wihin his chest.

The reality was much different. A brown paw reached over and rested on the dusty ground in front of him, and the medicine cat stepped nearer. He risked a glance upward, almost expecting anger in her gaze, but instead he was met with only a soft understanding. There was something else there, too, which he couldn't quite put his paw on. It had been so long since he'd seen the emotion from another cat. Surely it wasn't pity?

'I'm glad you saw sense,' she whispered.

He only shook his head.

'Go on.'

It all came pouring out after that. As soon as the first words passed his lips, it was a river flowing out, fast and free. There were times when Eaglefang was sure that he should've stopped, and not gone into such detail, but he had no idea how to prevent himself from doing so. All control over his tongue appeared to have been lost. Gauging what Ryesong thought about it all was even more difficult. Her expression very rarely changed from the empathy of before. When he told her the prophecy itself, a fleeting moment passed where he thought he identified sorrow in her eyes, but he couldn't be certain.

And then, just like that, he was finished. All the secrets had been spilled. At last, another cat knew of their troubles.

Ryesong stood up. Much like Palewhisper, her eyes were elsewhere, distant and obviously considering the meaning of the prophecy. He couldn't deny how utterly weak and pathetic he felt. And in some ways, ashamed. Resorting to assistance from WindClan had been their final option. If there was one thing fixed in his mind, it was detesting them, yet here he was, seeking their help. It stung with all the familiarity of a surrender.

'What does it mean?'

The slim brown she-cat pressed her lips together. 'Listen, I want you to know that what I'm about to say is pure conjecture. We medicine cats interpret omens to the best of our abilities, but the true essence of our warrior ancestors will always remain a mystery. We will only know the truth when they decide fate should unfold.'

'Of course,' he snapped. 'Just get on with it.'

One more abject sigh and the she-cat was clearing her throat, as though she were about to tell him a long and arduous tale. 'I think the first part is obvious enough. It references everything in the past, and all your... misfortunes. In some ways it is about you both, as well being very personal to Palewhisper. The fact that she sees her mother is, well, awful.' She hesitated.

'I don't want your pity.'

His callous, hardened reply forced the medicine cat to straighten up and press on. 'The second part complicates everything. I'm so sorry, but I don't think it's a coincidence these nightmares were sent only to her. _The future is pale as light._ The destinies of both she and your Clan are inexplicably linked. All that blood. It can only mean one thing-'

'Stop.'

The world had started to spin all around him. Various green shades of the herbs and the browns of the den merged together, forming a disorientating haze in front of his vision. He thought he might even collapse. The catastrophic mess of his emotions were running wild. They churned and twisted in his stomach, settling into the form of one thing. White hot anger, so raw his fur was burning.

He pushed away from Ryesong. He knew what it meant. He knew what she was telling him. He wished he didn't know. He would die before he accepted it.

'StarClan!' Eaglefang spat, enraged. 'What did I do to deserve this? Why do you feel the need to keep punishing me, when those who have murdered get away unscathed? I followed your code. I lived the life of an honorable warrior. I was happy! But you took that away. You took everything away, and now, you want to take _her_ from me as well? Is this your idea of destiny? Well, _I reject it_!'

Ignoring the dark brown she-cat's horrified cry, he staggered out into the camp. The stars hid behind a cloud as black as their hearts must be. _Cowards,_ he thought. _Mouse-hearts, the lot of them._

Incredibly, "help" meant that he had a duty to protect Palewhisper all the more.

* * *

 _ **[chapter originally written by Claudaujay]**_

 **A/N: Hi readers, Cotton Candy Mareep here again! Just writing to let you all know that this was the last of the chapters Claud had written for the original fic. I had gone back through his chapters and read them all thoroughly to take in everything I could of his characters and writing style, which was why they were posted here so slowly (plus, I wanted to buy some time to get my own writing for this story on track, haha). But from now on, all updates to this fanfic will be composed entirely of my own original writing, combining some of my own personal ideas for the story with the plot outline that Claud had laid out for me when I originally adopted it from him. Hopefully, my continuation will be up to par! And please, feel free to leave a review to tell us what you think!**

 **-CCM**


	17. Chapter 16: Smoketalon

**SLAVES**

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Smoketalon awoke that sunhigh to the faintest glimmer of sunlight filtering in through the shoddy overhang of the slaves' den, and a chill ruffling the dark fur along his spine. He opened his eyes slowly and stretched, legs strained before him and unsheathed claws digging into the earth around his nest, before relaxing with a stifled yawn and sparing a glance toward the nest he shared his sleeping space with. To his surprise, it was empty, only the flattened down scraps of moss giving away any sign that a cat had slept there. His fellow slave, it seemed, hadn't been in his nest all morning.

Or was he surprised? Smoketalon had a strong suspicion now that he knew exactly where Aspenpaw might be, much as he loathed to admit it. The last time the young grey tom had gone missing, he'd managed to trail him out into the forest where he was caught playing with the ShadowClan apprentice, Tanglepaw. But after the conversation which entailed, he didn't think it wise to start up another argument with his Clanmate again so soon. They had just recently gotten back on better terms, and Smoketalon had to admit that it was a great comfort to have the young tom speaking to him again. He was his last reminder of home, after all. And he had promised to do a better job of covering up his tracks.

Thus, although he liked the idea about as much as he enjoyed taking a swim, Smoketalon had decided to continue allowing Aspenpaw to secretly meet up with the other young ShadowClan apprentice, at least for the time being. The young tom had a point, even if he didn't agree with it, personally; cats his age needed friends. In fact, on the very night of the Gathering, Smoketalon had openly mentioned to Aspenpaw that he wouldn't interfere in his friendship with Tanglepaw unless he had to, leaving him with only a stern warning to be more careful next time. Granted, he then spent much of the subsequent Gathering looking for the other ThunderClan cats and didn't pay much attention to what his fellow slave was getting up to, but he hoped the young cat had sense enough not to go running off to explore the Gathering with Tanglepaw right then in front of everyone.

For now, however, Smoketalon would give him the benefit of the doubt. It was on him to not mess things up.

Memories of that night began to flood back into his mind. Two sunrises had already passed since the Gathering. The Gathering where RiverClan and WindClan had very nearly erupted into a full-fledged battle with each other, while the ShadowClan leader Ravenstar gloated over it all, in his usual calm demeanor with an icy-cold glint in his eye.

Two sunrises since he had last talked with Foxflame.

Smoketalon had many misgivings over his hastily thought-out plans to meet his Clanmate at the border between RiverClan and ShadowClan territories. What if she didn't show up, or couldn't? Then all he hoped to say to her would go to waste. What if he was followed? He had to get away from the ShadowClan guards somehow, without being seen, though he was certain he knew the perfect way to do so. No cat really wanted to follow a slave into the dirtplace in the middle of night, after all. If Aspenpaw could manage to get away unseen, then surely he could, too. But still, a lot could very well go wrong.

Still pondering these thoughts, Smoketalon finally stepped out from his den to take in some of the much-needed, albeit sparse, sunlight. The grass below felt cool against his paw pads. There weren't as many cats out and about as usual, though he hoped this was for a reason – the fresh-kill pile was looking dismally low, and so the Clan needed as many warriors out hunting as they could spare. As he looked over the contents of the pile of prey, his stomach rumbled right on cue, but there wasn't much he could do about it. In the heart of the harshest season around the lake, the ShadowClan slaves were limited to the very last scraps on the pile, if anything. It seemed that he and Aspenpaw only grew more and more hungry with each passing sunrise, which only added fuel to his fire. _This wasn't right_. They should have all of their own territory to hunt. ThunderClan's woods should still belong to _them_ , regardless of what the other Clans thought.

Tail thrashing against the ground furiously, Smoketalon hardly noticed the pair of cats speaking beside the camp entrance behind him until a specific voice met his ears. The one voice he most hated to hear.

'Wolfpaw, I thought I told you to feed the elders and Ivynose first,' the voice, low and masculine, reprimanded with a rumbling growl.

Smoketalon turned around, very slowly so as not to draw attention to his eavesdropping self, to spot the ginger-furred ShadowClan deputy himself, glaring at the young cat in question.

The large grey-furred apprentice appeared to lower himself to the ground humbly, though his eyes still shone with an open defiance. 'I'm sorry, Emberheart,' he mumbled, sounding not the least bit apologetic. 'It won't happen again.'

Emberheart sighed, clearly at a loss. 'You should show some respect, Wolfpaw,' he growled. 'When I ask for something to be done, I expect it to be _done_. Are we clear?'

Wolfpaw shrugged insolently. 'Whatever. I got a training session to get to now. Addertooth is supposed to show me some new fighting moves, for ambushes.'

The deputy narrowed his eyes, seemingly opening his mouth to argue with the impudent apprentice, but was silenced before he could even begin.

'What are you keeping my apprentice waiting for?' the mottled brown senior warrior, Addertooth, snarled as he stalked over to back up the young tom. 'He hasn't done anything _wrong_.'

'He outright disobeyed my orders,' Emberheart replied, with an air of forced calm, 'and now the elders still need to be fed.'

'Well, I need him now, so you're going to have to find some other cat to take care of it,' Addertooth retorted coldly, curling his tail over Wolfpaw's shoulders and leading him away. 'I mean, after all, we have _slaves_ here for a reason,' he added. 'My apprentice doesn't need to be wasting valuable training time to do a slave's job.'

Smoketalon gaped at the strikingly obvious show of disrespect. Nightwhisper had been right, and it was becoming increasingly pronounced with every passing sunrise – Emberheart was a very unpopular cat among his own Clanmates. Again, he had to wonder... What had the ShadowClan deputy done?

As usual, he almost wanted to laugh. How fitting it was that the cat he hated most was not only hated by himself, a mere lowly ThunderClan slave, but by the rest of his own Clan, as well. Yet still, it wasn't enough. No punishment would ever be enough, when it came to what Emberheart had done to him. Smoketalon hardly even wanted to think the name.

He wanted revenge, and when it came right down to it, nothing would stop him from getting just that. _That stinking ShadowClan murderer needs to pay_.

Emberheart glared at the two cats' backs as they stalked out of camp, presumably toward the training hollow, muttering under his breath. 'Well, there goes Wolfpaw, and Tanglepaw is nowhere to be found, it seems...'

Smoketalon's pelt prickled in discomfort. Yes, he had a sneaking suspicion as to where Tanglepaw had gone off to... Especially as it appeared that Aspenpaw wasn't anywhere within the confines of the camp, either. Apparently, his earlier reservations had been confirmed.

 _So it seems that other cats_ are _noticing their disappearances,_ he thought, somewhat annoyed. _Hopefully, they've learned to cover their tracks a bit better after the last time._

His thoughts, however, were soon cut short, as was likely to be expected.

'Excuse me, slave.' Emberheart had finally caught sight of Smoketalon beside the fresh-kill pile, though he didn't seem aware that the slave had been listening in on the entire conversation, and had been witness to the deputy's less-than-successful attempts to control his Clanmates.

He glanced up, expecting the ginger tom to be watching him with critically, but instead he stared pointedly at the ground. Yet again, the ShadowClan deputy refused to meet eyes with him, and Smoketalon reveled internally over this small victory. 'As it appears that both of our apprentices are _unavailable_ at the moment, this task falls to you. I need you to bring fresh-kill to the elders, including Ivynose. And don't you _dare_ give me or any other cat any problems about it.'

'Yes, sir,' Smoketalon replied snarkily, dipping his head in a gesture of mock-respect. 'I'll get right on it, _oh great deputy_.'

Apparently, Emberheart didn't have the energy or time at the moment to waste on more rudeness, but Smoketalon didn't stick around to see for himself. He whisked two pieces off the pile – one a small blackbird, the other a disappointingly scrawny squirrel – and was off in a heartbeat.

 _Honestly, this isn't the worst job in the world,_ Smoketalon thought to himself as he dropped the blackbird off just within the entrance to the elders' den, where one ShadowClan elder, a thin mud-colored tomcat, was currently fast asleep. He decided not to wake the tom up, hoping he'd see the bird waiting for him upon waking, and quickly retreated toward the nursery where Ivynose preferred to make her nest. _I could be forced to hunt all day long in the middle of leafbare, like Foxflame was saying. Sure, this is just lowly apprentice work, but at least it's easy enough. And there are some... benefits._

The ShadowClan nursery was dark and relatively cool inside, but not to the point of discomfort like the slaves' den was. At this point, Smoketalon had fetched prey for the older ShadowClan she-cat so many times, that the nursery had become very familiar to him, as was the cat within.

Ivynose was wide awake, absentmindedly grooming her own pelt, and paused when Smoketalon stepped inside and greeted her with a dip of his head, placing the skinny squirrel at her paws. 'This is for you,' Smoketalon explained, settling down onto his haunches. 'Emberheart thought you would be hungry.'

Ivynose's whiskers twitched amusedly, and she didn't waste a heartbeat in lowering her head to take a bite out of the piece of prey. 'Say no more,' she mewed, with the faintest hint of a crackling purr under her breath. 'I know the drill by now.'

She took a few more quick bites out of the squirrel, evidently quite hungry, before stopping and looking back up at the black tomcat. 'You?' she asked simply, nudging the fresh-kill toward him.

Smoketalon felt his pelt prickling uncomfortably – it didn't feel right taking prey from an elder, even if said cat was from ShadowClan – but Ivynose, as usual, insisted on sharing. _It was definitely strange,_ he thought, _but then again, fresh-kill is fresh-kill._

He bent down to take a heaping mouthful of the squirrel, closing his eyes as he savored the woodsy flavors that reminded him so much of home, before pushing the prey back toward Ivynose with a halfhearted sweep of his paw. Again, her whiskers twitched with thinly-veiled amusement as she eyed the tom closely. 'I assume that squirrel was more suited to your tastes, yes?'

A sudden surge of some strong emotion almost overtook him, something strange that felt like anger interlaced with a dash of melancholy nostalgia, but before he could react, it had already passed him by in a heartbeat, leaving him feeling oddly drained. 'Much better than those slimy little frogs you ShadowClan cats seem so partial to,' he responded, only the faintest derisive edge to his tone.

'Well, frogs aren't the easiest prey to find in leafbare,' she replied shortly.

He watched in thoughtful silence, his mind now elsewhere, as the ShadowClan queen quietly continued her meal.

There was so much to do... Not only was his upcoming meeting with Foxflame niggling at the back of his mind, but then he had to deal with Emberheart, somehow... And on top of all that, Smoketalon doubted that his issue with Aspenpaw had been fully cleared up. Just so much could go wrong.

'Are you alright?' the elderly queen asked, ears twitching questioningly, her voice startling the tom from his trance. 'You seem a bit... distracted. Got a lot on your mind?'

'Yeah, you could say that,' Smoketalon muttered.

'Well...' Ivynose seemed to drag her words out especially slow, 'Is this about your friend, the little grey tom, again? Perhaps you'd like to talk about it?'

She let out a short, rasping laugh. 'Admittedly, not many cats come to visit little old me nowadays... Not even my own sons. You can't blame me for wanting something more to keep me occupied.'

 _Ha. As if._ Much as he could say that Ivynose was likely the cat he trusted most in all of ShadowClan (though, granted, that wasn't saying much), and he was starting to feel a strange sort of connection with the old she-cat, there was no way he was going to reveal anything to her. Although... he did feel for her, if even only the slightest bit. She may be a part of the very Clan that had destroyed his home and was now keeping him imprisoned, but the more he talked with her, the more he realized – she was lonely.

And, so was he. They had more than a few things in common, it seemed.

In the end, Smoketalon only retorted bluntly, 'I'm a slave. I have everything in the world to worry about, and nothing ever seems to go right for me.'

Ivynose said nothing at that, only narrowed her eyes at him in what seemed to be a sense of understanding, before she took another bite of her meal. Apparently finished now, she pushed the remains of the squirrel away from her with both paws before curling her tail around her body, getting more comfortable in her mossy nest. 'Feel free to finish that off,' she rasped, settling her head down atop her paws. 'It's a little too stringy for me, anyhow.'

Smoketalon didn't argue with her this time. It wasn't every day he was offered one of his favorite types of woodland prey here in ShadowClan, after all. And he was nearly hungry enough to accept almost anything at this point, if he could manage to stomach a slimy frog.

Despite how thin the squirrel had been, it didn't taste stringy to him at all.

As he stepped out of the nursery into the steadily darkening light of the camp clearing, Smoketalon took a deep breath and glanced up at the sky. The sun was already well past its highest point, and shone faintly from behind the gathering clouds at the edge of the treetops. Sundown would come soon, and by then, the earliest stars of Silverpelt would be visible over the distant treeline, dim lights of his StarClan ancestors twinkling above. _Are they watching me now? My Clan, and Beechfoot?_ he wondered fleetingly.

If all went well, he was going to see Foxflame again, that very night... Perhaps, for the first time in moons, something was actually going to go right for him, for once.

* * *

The moon was already well on its way to its highest point in the nighttime sky when Smoketalon stirred from his nest in the slaves' den. He hadn't been sleeping, though. He couldn't sleep, couldn't risk missing his planned meeting at moonhigh. His paws had tingled with an apprehensive sort of nervous excitement since the sun set that evening as he waited for just the right moment to make his escape.

Aspenpaw slept quietly beside him through the night, though the young tomcat occasionally tossed and turned uneasily in his own nest. Smoketalon couldn't blame him. It certainly wasn't easy trying to get a good night's rest in the drafty, cramped den. On more than one instance, Smoketalon had found himself reminiscing of his easy sleep in the warriors' den back in ThunderClan. Though he had always much preferred his solitude, there was something very comforting in falling asleep amongst the many distinct, warm pelts of his fellow Clanmates. A feeling he had taken for granted. But now, the thought only made him sad, so he quickly pushed it from the forefront of his mind.

Smoketalon hadn't had a chance to speak to Aspenpaw earlier, as the young tom had been gone from camp for quite a while, and as such, he was left to complete the slaves' set of duties all on his own. Luckily, none of the ShadowClan cats seemed to have noticed the younger slave's absence, as most had been sent out into the forest on hunting patrols to stock up the dwindling fresh-kill pile (Smoketalon included), but it still left Smoketalon in a sour mood. Granted, he had't caught any sign nor scent of Aspenpaw or his little ShadowClan friend while out on patrol with a strong set of ShadowClan warriors.

 _H_ _opefully, this means he really is getting better at covering up his tracks,_ Smoketalon thought. _But still, if he's gone all day long, surely some ShadowClan cat will notice that he's missing sooner or later. They've already noticed Tanglepaw gone. This had better not become a regular occurrence._

Grumbling, Smoketalon picked his way out of his nest and slinked out the entrance to the den, quickly observing his surroundings for any sign of a guard or ShadowClan warrior who might happen to be milling about camp in the middle of the night. Above the camp, dark grey wisps of cloud streaked across the dimmed stars of Silverpelt above, but the moon – slightly less than full now – was still well-visible among them.

The coast was clear, and a sliver of moonlight through the clouds allowed him to focus his attention on the small tunnel out of camp just slightly to the left of their den, much smaller and more concealed than the main entrance, where the dirtplace lay just beyond. If any cat caught him in the clearing, he could simply play it off as having to go make dirt. Certainly, no cat would question _that_.

'Where are you going?' a whispered voice asked from behind, and Smoketalon froze, startled. He turned around slowly, finding himself face-to-face with Aspenpaw, standing in the middle of the entrance to the slaves' den. There was a curious, albeit rather suspicious, look in the young tom's eye. '...What are you leaving in the middle of the night for?'

'You're not the only one who has some sneaking around to do,' Smoketalon answered, somewhat mysteriously, though his words had a definite meaningful edge.

Aspenpaw must have caught on to this, as well. The apprentice looked about ready to argue for a moment, but in the end, he merely shrugged. 'Fine. Whatever. But I've been extra careful with Tanglepaw, you know. I know what I'm doing.'

'If you were really that careful,' Smoketalon replied with the hint of a snarl, 'then you wouldn't even so much as mention your little friendship within the confines of the camp. You never know who might overhear you.'

'We're the only cats here right now,' Aspenpaw retorted, though the look in his eyes gave away his sense of uncertainty. 'Don't worry about it so much; I told you before, I got this. This is my decision.'

Smoketalon snorted, but said nothing more on the matter. Aspenpaw was much too friendly with that ShadowClan apprentice... Though deep down, he wanted nothing more than to tell his companion the truth, he knew it wouldn't help him at this point in time. Aspenpaw was too much of a risk - how could he trust him not to give the secret away, if even by accident, when his best friend was seemingly one of the very cats who had caused them this whole mess to begin with?

Abruptly, he decided to change the subject. 'I was... simply given a mission earlier, to go out hunting at night, down by the lake,' he lied through his teeth slowly, voice barely reaching a whisper. 'They thought we might have a chance at finding more prey if we tried a different time of day. A hunting patrol is waiting for me out in the forest as we speak. Probably shouldn't keep them waiting.'

Aspenpaw narrowed his eyes, obviously aware that he wasn't being given the full details, but eventually shrugged it off and abruptly turned back into the den. "Well, I'm exhausted. Good luck with that, Smoketalon.'

Smoketalon shook his head, housing the smallest twinge of regret as he sneaked through the dirtplace tunnel out of camp. He could only hope that Aspenpaw would understand why he couldn't be entirely truthful with him. _Much as I' might like to tell him the truth, I can't. I just can't... Not yet._

The moon shone nearly dead-center in the skies above as Smoketalon reached the RiverClan border without much incident, his pawsteps through the forest having been softened by the thin layer of combined snow and pine needles that carpeted the ground. The flat, smooth expanse of the small Twoleg Thunderpath that divided the two Clan territories was bathed in a silvery light, and from where he sat at the edge of the pine trees on ShadowClan territory, he could just see the shimmering moonlit surface of the lake beyond.

Suddenly, there came a rustle in the undergrowth on the opposite side of the Thunderpath, and Smoketalon tensed. What if it was a RiverClan patrol?

However, his worries were quickly quenched when he caught sight of that familiar ginger pelt, shining like a small flame as she strode out from under cover of the bushes. The one ginger pelt he was actually _relieved_ to see.

She glanced up, and the sharpness in her yellow eyes immediately softened when she spotted her Clanmate waiting for her.

'Foxflame,' Smoketalon called to her, as softly as he could manage. 'You made it.'

She nodded, slowly striding across the deserted Twoleg path up to him. Stopping nearly a tail-length away, she bumped her head against his shoulder in brief but friendly greeting, before sitting back on her lightly tensed haunches. 'Of course... After that talk with you at the Gathering, I wouldn't miss this if all of StarClan themselves came down from the skies and begged me to.'

'Did you have any trouble getting out of camp?' Smoketalon asked. Foxflame sharply shook her head.

'Nothing that I couldn't handle,' she replied. Though her voice sounded confident, Smoketalon wasn't so sure, but he pressed the matter no further. They didn't have much time. He needed to get right to the point.

'So...' she stepped back, giving the jet-black tom a more critical look, 'What is this all about, really? What was so important that you had to sneak out of camp and meet me out here at the border in the middle of the night?'

Smoketalon took a deep breath. He knew exactly what this was about. 'Freedom.'

Foxflame's eyes widened in shock, just as he had the last time he'd mentioned the word to her, but she quickly regained her composure and pricked up her ears with interest. 'Freedom...' she murmured, as though trying out the word for the first time, savoring the way it sounded on her lips. 'That's what you said before. So, you do have a plan, then?'

'Working on it,' Smoketalon replied. 'I've been thinking for a while, now. But, I need your help. One cat can't accomplish this all on his own... As far as I know, we'll have to get all three Clans involved. We - ThunderClan - have to somehow find a way to get out of here, to escape once and for all, together. To freedom.'

'...All three Clans? What do you mean?' Foxflame echoed, sounding just the slightest bit skeptical.

'Yes. At some point, we'll need to get at least one slave from WindClan in on this, too. Which, you may be able to help with that. You should find them easier to contact, as you're much nearer to WindClan territory than I am.' _Not to mention, the current conflict between WindClan and RiverClan._ 'Have you heard from either Eaglefang or Palewhisper at all, since, you know...' his voice cracked as he remembered, giving name to his other Clanmates that he hadn't seen in so long. How did he even know they were still alive?

The ginger she-cat shook her head, a somewhat remorseful glimmer in her eye. 'No... I haven't seen neither head nor tail of them. And WindClan didn't bring their slaves to the Gathering.'

'Well, eventually, we're going to have to get them involved in this, too. But for now, I think we should keep this to ourselves until we have a better idea of how we're going to go about accomplishing this. Just between you and me. The fewer cats who know about this right now, the better.'

Foxflame seemed to pause in thought for a moment, almost indecisively. 'Smoketalon... What if it's even easier than that?'

Now it was his turn to question her. 'What do you mean?'

The she-cat's yellow eyes narrowed, and one ear twitched thoughtfully. Almost wistfully. 'Freedom... We could have it right now, couldn't we? Why not? We made it out here on our own, after all... What's stopping us from leaving the Clans right this very moment?'

Smoketalon considered his Clanmate's words. _She's got a point... What_ is _stopping us? We could just leave, and never look back, and the Clans would be none the wiser..._

But then, a vision came to mind. He thought of Aspenpaw, his one Clanmate and companion through all that ShadowClan had put them through, curled up in a restless sleep back in his nest in the slaves' den. Too young to have already had to suffer through so much. He thought briefly of Foxflame's fellow slave in RiverClan, and the other ThunderClan warriors trapped in WindClan on the opposite side of the lake. He thought of all the horrors they had been through in the past few moons, and of the Clan cats that destroyed everything he had once known and held dear, forced him to watch his life violently unravel around him into a bloodstained mess.

And finally, with a sharp twinge of pain, he thought of his brother Beechfoot, murdered right before his very eyes.

How could he and Foxflame just run away now as if it were really that simple, and leave their last remaining Clanmates behind? StarClan only knows what might happen to them after they left. How could they possibly throw away the warrior code now, and StarClan, when it was all they had left to cling to? How could they let ThunderClan fade away and be forgotten, when every instinct told him to take back what was rightfully theirs, as a true warrior would? And most of all, how could he, like a coward, let a cat like Emberheart get away with what he had done to him, without repercussion?

'I'm not finished here,' Smoketalon replied simply. Foxflame nodded slowly, the look in her musty amber eyes revealing her understanding, more than he could even pick up on.

'You're right,' she agreed quietly. 'It would be mouse-hearted to leave now, like this...' The look in her eyes seemed to harden, resolutely. 'ThunderClan is in this together.'

Smoketalon glanced up at the moon again. It was now hovering just over the outlines of the treetops. Soon enough, the sun would begin its rise into a new day. And when it did, they couldn't be found out here by the dawn patrol, not by either Clan. They had to get back to camp, soon.

'Let's meet here again, in another two sunrises,' he decided quickly, with an air of finality. 'Same time, same place.'

'How about five sunrises' time,' Foxflame interjected. He opened his mouth to argue, but she silenced him with a sharp glare. 'We can't meet too frequently, Smoketalon. It can be difficult to sneak away like this, even in the middle of the night, and if we're gone this frequently, some cat might get suspicious. We don't want to be found out.'

Smoketalon sighed. Though he'd like to meet for planning more frequently than that, the she-cat had a point. They would get nowhere if one of them was caught sneaking out like this, or worse – if they were discovered meeting on the border together. Surely, in the case of that ever happening, it would be next to impossible to get out and meet again. They couldn't risk that.

'Goodbye, Foxflame,' he finally meowed, gently nudging her shoulder with his own in farewell for only a heartbeat before turning away, back toward darkened ShadowClan territory. 'See you at moonhigh, in five sunrises' time.'

She paused, almost looking as though she might refuse to leave, before nodding and retreating back to her own side of the border. 'See you then.'

One traipse through the pine forest later, as he crawled back through the dirtplace tunnel and crept his way across camp to return to the slaves' den unseen, Smoketalon spared a glance at his fellow ShadowClan slave, curled up into his nest. The young cat shivered slightly as he slept, as the barren den wasn't well-equipped or sheltered enough for proper leafbare sleeping. Smoketalon's pelt bristled as he watched Aspenpaw sleep. This was unfair. Why should any cat so young, and once so hopeful and full of life, be subjected to such harsh treatment without reason?

 _This is all because of ShadowClan,_ Smoketalon thought, growling to himself. _They've destroyed everything for us – our Clan, our home, the warrior code. And my brother,_ a prickle of sadness passed through his pelt at the memory of the one cat he cared about most. Beechfoot. Even after moons, the pain was still almost too much to bear.

 _The other Clans cannot get away with this. ShadowClan must be punished, for putting us through this._ _And most of all,_ Emberheart _must be punished._

Smoketalon squeezed his eyes shut for a few aching heartbeats, before glancing back at Aspenpaw's sleeping form one last time. A series of plans was steadily taking shape in his mind, a plan to take back what was rightfully theirs. A plan to get back at Emberheart. A plan to cling to their one last glimmering hope of freedom.

But was Aspenpaw ready to hear it?

No. He wouldn't tell Aspenpaw just yet, Smoketalon reaffirmed his decision, turning back over in his nest. That would come, all in good time.

* * *

 **A/N: So, thank you all for reading my first addition to Claudaujay's story (and for being so patient - this chapter ended up way longer than expected)! From here on out, I plan on writing much more regularly. As of now, I'm hoping to try and update both this fic and my personal Warriors fanfic _Differences_ about weekly, or at least alternate updates between them week by week. Please feel free to leave a review, as there will be so much more to come! I hope to see everyone stick around for the complete continuation. :)**

 **-CCM**


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